Bygones: The day Tom Briscoe broke Challenge Cup final record and Leeds Rhinos kicked off treble

As time fades, legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane is best remembered for his infamous headbutt in his last-ever game in the 2006 World Cup final rather than his spellbinding skill and remarkable list of honours.

In rugby league, Tom Briscoe will always be the first man to score five tries in a Challenge Cup final.

Whereas previous record holder Leroy Rivett’s career was modest by comparison, Briscoe was a household name long before his Wembley heroics.

The winger played in a Challenge Cup final in his debut season with Hull FC in 2008 and earned the first of 15 England caps the following year.

A Super League Dream Team member in 2011, Briscoe swapped Hull for Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2014 season after seeing a move to NRL club Cronulla Sharks fall through.

It was a sliding doors moment in Briscoe’s career and one that took him to Wembley with the Rhinos on this day seven years ago.

Leeds - no strangers to a Challenge Cup final after featuring in four of the previous five Wembley showpieces - were highly fancied to retain the trophy against Hull KR on the back of six straight wins.

But there was no hint of complacency as Brian McDermott’s men prepared to face a Rovers side still on a high following their stunning semi-final victory over Warrington Wolves.

What happened next - a record 50-0 win - even surprised the players.

“We just took it as another final,” Briscoe told The Yorkshire Post.

“We didn’t expect anything like that to happen. Anyone can beat anyone on the day and you’ve got to prepare to make sure you’re in the right head space for a tough game.

“Fortunately for us, everything clicked and we ended up with a special result.

“In a final, you expect not to know the result right up until the last few minutes. When you’re getting up to 50-0, it’s a different kind of feeling where you can relax a bit and take it all in.”

The Rhinos ran in nine tries but few could name the other four scorers on a day that belonged to Briscoe.

He had to wait 19 minutes for his first, taking a pass from Kallum Watkins before cutting back inside to finish.

His second try in the 47th minute was the most eye-catching after climbing highest to claim Maurice Blair’s cross-field kick and racing 90 metres.

The floodgates opened in the closing stages with the trophy already sporting blue and white ribbons.

Briscoe took Watkins’ offload to complete his hat-trick on 66 minutes and made it four following a break by his centre.

That 75th-minute try equalled the record set by Rivett in Leeds’ emphatic win over London Broncos in 1999 but there was still time for Briscoe to break it.

Put into space by Danny McGuire, Briscoe left Josh Mantellato on the deck with dazzling footwork to dive over next to the posts.

The Lance Todd Trophy had Briscoe’s name on it and his Rhinos team-mates knew it.

A popular figure in the dressing room, the unassuming Featherstone-born player was mobbed to crown an unforgettable afternoon.

“My lasting memory from the day was going over for my last try and everyone piling on as I tried to get back up,” said Briscoe.

“I remember being ecstatic at the bottom of that pile and in shock that I’d scored five tries.

“I wasn’t aware I’d broken the record when I scored but I remember being told afterwards.

“It was special to get five tries in a final and the man of the match, and win so convincingly. That’s the highlight of my career.”

So often the bridesmaids between 1999 and 2014, the shackles were off thanks to the win over Castleford Tigers the previous August.

By the time the 2015 showpiece came around, the pain of six straight Challenge Cup final defeats was a distant memory.

“Before 2014, there were a number of years - on the trot as well - where we’d lost at Wembley and hadn’t quite got over the line,” said Briscoe.

“There was quite a bit of pressure going into 2014 and I’m proud to have been a part of that first one.

“To be the reigning champions brings a different kind of pressure but there was a lot of pressure off due to the fact we had won it the previous year.”

After investing so much emotion in the 2014 final, the Rhinos lost their next four games as their season fizzled out.

Leeds suffered another Wembley hangover in 2015 but the introduction of the Super 8s allowed them to sober up and refocus their minds.

While it took longer than they would have hoped, the turning point was worth the wait.

With the League Leaders’ Shield on its way to Wigan, Ryan Hall scored after the full-time hooter to secure a famous win at Huddersfield Giants.

Standing in the way of the treble were St Helens and Wigan Warriors but there was no stopping the Rhinos.

Fuelled by a desire to give Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai a fairytale finish, Leeds beat Wigan 22-20 in the Grand Final to become the third club to win the treble in the Super League era.

“There were a few stories within that season and it was great to be a part of that,” said Briscoe.

“To start off the treble with a 50-0 win was one thing but to go on and do it all in one season was incredible, especially for someone like me who had never won the League Leaders’ Shield or a Grand Final.

“It’s something I feel privileged to have been a part of.”

While Briscoe acknowledged that Hall’s try gave Leeds renewed impetus, he felt the Rhinos were destined to win the Grand Final regardless of the bounce of the ball at the John Smith’s Stadium.

“That changed everything,” added Briscoe.

“I suppose you look at it and it gives you what is classed as an easier run-in - but with the squad we had and the spirit within the team, I think we would have gone on to do something special anyway.”

Briscoe is in the final few weeks of his stay at Headingley after being told his contract will not be renewed.

The former England international, who has scored 93 tries in 205 games for the Rhinos, has made memories that will last a lifetime.

“You go through some tough times as a team so the celebrations are special when you come out the other side with a winner’s medal,” said Briscoe, who has won two Challenge Cups, two Grand Finals and a League Leaders’ Shield.

“For that reason, 2020 at Wembley was a special one due to the fact there were no crowds and we weren’t allowed our families so it was literally just the lads.

“We got that time together, which you probably wouldn’t have if all the families were there. That one was special.”