Westwood is eager to avoid Filey weekend

The England second-row has won three Challenge Cup finals in the last five seasons with Warrington Wolves and hopes to reach Wembley again by defeating Leeds Rhinos tomorrow.

Hull FC played Wigan in last year’s showpiece and he admitted: “I went to a caravan that weekend in Filey. I got back in from the pub with about 10 minutes of the game left.

“I say pub, it was just a few drinks while the kids were playing in the park. I had a good weekend away and don’t tend to follow rugby league too much.

“The game takes up a lot of your weekends. I’m not saying I wouldn’t rather have been playing but I chose to go away with the family, especially as they were on holidays and we don’t get chance to when everyone else does. You can never have too many Challenge Cup winners’ medals, though. It’s been great over the last few years to do well in this competition, but that’s all in the past.

“We are up against a real tough team in Leeds on Saturday and it will be a very tough challenge.”

Wakefield-raised Westwood, 33, admits there will be no change to his usual match-day routine despite the prize on offer.

“I will probably be nervous but I’ll probably have a fry-up like I usually do and stick to what I’ve done throughout my career – watching Corrie and Emmerdale,” said the big soap fan.

“People say fry-ups are really bad for you and maybe they are if you’re having black pudding and fried bread. But a fried egg won’t hurt you or bacon, sausage and beans.

“Then we’ll get stuck into Leeds. We must be dominant against their forwards.”