Deacon on course to fulfil his Wembley ambition

It is an image which, when taking into account the situation and its players, evokes an instant smile.

Those rival supporters had reason to be antagonised by the little scrum-half; he had just masterminded Bradford Bulls’ famous 2003 final win over their fierce foes, Deacon’s penalty kick proving the difference in a tense 22-20 triumph.

They certainly did not need reminding of the fact so forcefully just a few short hours later but Deacon explains none of it was intended.

“That was the most memorable game of my career for many reasons – that being one,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“There are so many memories looking back but I do remember being in the bar after the match and looking around to see all the lads had gone. Disappeared.

“They were walking back down to the hotel – we were staying at The Angel just on the corner right across the street, 100 metres down the road from the (Millennium) stadium.

“But the cup was still there and just a couple of the lads.

“Me and Aaron Smith walked out together... and started off down the street with the Challenge Cup!

“Then all these lads saw us and started gathering around.

“I just backhanded the cup to Aaron and shot off, left him to it.

“He got himself and the cup back eventually – but it took him about an hour to get a hundred metres!”

The wily scrum-half has been a thorn in Leeds’ side for the majority of his career, being Bradford’s scrum-half through their halcyon days of Super League success when their rivalry was at its peak.

But, after more than a decade at Odsal – and four barren years since their Grand Final win over Leeds in 2005 – he switched to Wigan last season where he has enjoyed an Indian summer.

The experienced Deacon’s arrival helped facilitate Sam Tomkins’s genius switch to full-back and the talented pair have flourished together.

At 32, revitalised Deacon is playing some of the best football of his life – which will worry Leeds fans again ahead of tomorrow’s Challenge Cup final against the Warriors.

His astute kicking and clever distribution was as pinpoint as ever when he helped Wigan ease past Bradford 60-12 a week ago to see the champions maintain top spot in Super League, a suitable warm-up for the main event at Wembley. There were plenty of former colleagues in the dressing room area afterwards urging him to repeat it all against Rhinos.

“I had a lot of well-wishers from the Bradford people that night to go beat ‘them men’ next week,” he said. “Let’s hope we can go carry that out.”

It was not just former team-mates either, Deacon revealing he had received a ‘lovely’ letter from Charlie Ebbage, the octogenarian ex-Odsal timekeeper who had seen him gradually develop there into a Great Britain international after initially arriving as a teenage rookie from Oldham.

But, despite his deep affinity with Bradford, there is no denying Deacon’s first love was Wigan, his home-town team whom he had watched religiously growing up as a child.

Winning the Grand Final with them last year was immense but to hoist the Challenge Cup – on his first appearance at Wembley – would crown a remarkable tale.

“I still have to pinch myself sometimes,” he admits.

“I think it’s not real because I went nine times as a kid to Wembley to watch Wigan lift the Challenge Cup.

“When you’re growing up they’re quite powerful memories and as a kid that’s all I always wanted to do – play at Wembley with Wigan.

“That’s all that was about back then – we won eight on the trot and I was at every one.

“I used to love watching Andy Greg’ at scrum-half and Ellery Hanley was just out of this world.

“There’s so many memories from them and the one that sticks out was ’89 – 27-nil against Saints.

“That was special. I can’t believe I’m now going to get the opportunity to play there, too, if selected.”

There is no doubting Wigan coach Michael Maguire will pick Deacon who, instead of winding down his career with the Cherry and Whites as initially expected, has become a crucial part of their recent return to glory.

However, Deacon, whose only other final appearance was in Bradford’s 2001 Twickenham loss to St Helens, believes it is folly to suggest tomorrow’s game will be as one-sided an affair as the bookmakers believe.

“I don’t read the papers and am not bothered what the press, bookies or fans are thinking,” he said, with Wigan priced 1-3 with some bookmakers.

“Some people might say we’ve gone 12 games without a loss so we’re actually due a defeat.

“I don’t see it like that. We just need to go out and perform.

“We’ll look to do that at Wembley and we’re fully aware of what Leeds are capable of.

“People can make us out as favourites if they want but we don’t buy into that at all.”

Wigan have not won the cup since defeating St Helens at Murrayfield in 2002 and their last appearance at Wembley was the famous defeat against Sheffield Eagles four years earlier.

After that stunning domination between 1988 and 1995, they are certainly due some success but Deacon insisted: “If you look at the Leeds team on paper they shouldn’t be where they are in the league (sixth).

“They are better than that and we’ve experienced how good they can be in the last two seasons.

“All the games we’ve played against them have been close so we’re expecting that again.

“Kevin Sinfield controls their team, drives the ship, and is very important for them while I’m made up for Jamie Peacock, too, getting to play at Wembley for the first time like me.

“We started out together at Bradford and he’s a good friend. I just hope he doesn’t come away with the victory – and I do.”