Challenge Cup final: The best team won says Wigan coach Shaun Wane

Wigan had a late touchdown ruled out for a forward pass and video referee James Child awarded a knock-on when Tony Clubb seemed to have had the ball stripped from his grasp over the line earlier on.

Wane admitted he was confused by that ruling, but he insisted: “I definitely don’t want to make an excuse.

“That’s not the reason why we lost. The best team won, Hull were the best team.

“We didn’t really test them. It was three tries each, but I don’t think we gave it the best shot to win.”

Even so, Hull were close to at least sending the final into extra time in the last 10 minutes and Wane added: “I thought we had a chance. Whether we deserved it or not I am not too sure.

“I don’t think we deserved it the way we started the second half.

“Our completions were 58 per cent in the second half of a Challenge Cup final.

“You are not going to win it doing that. We were not good enough.

“We did way too much defence. Some 50-50s didn’t go our way and put loads of pressure on us.

“We lacked some detail in our defence and that cost us.”