Determined Burrow looks ahead to making most of league season

A 28-18 defeat by Wigan means the Rhinos have experienced Wembley heartache for the last two years and coach Brian McDermott has just five days to pick his side up for Friday’s final home game of the regular season against Wakefield.

“We’ve got two games in the League left and that’s all we can focus on,” said Burrow, whose side are currently sixth in the table. “But we’ll take a lot from this. We can kick on for the league. That’s all that’s left now.”

Like two of his team-mates, Burrow now has four runners-up medals as he still awaits an elusive maiden cup success.

“That seems to be the bane of our lives at the moment,” he admitted. “We’ve been involved in finals and the great build-up that goes with them but we’ve not quite got the win.”

Routed 30-6 by Warrington a year earlier, Leeds were heading for similar humiliation when Wigan stormed into a 16-0 lead after 27 minutes but they rallied superbly to help produce the best final since it was returned to Wembley in 2007.

Winger Ryan Hall scored two tries, taking his career total beyond 100, as the Rhinos cut the gap to just two points at one stage and the exciting Ben Jones-Bishop and Carl Ablett also touched down as the Yorkshiremen threatened to spring the biggest comeback in Cup final history.

Burrow, who began the match on the bench, was at the heart of the fightback and his efforts were recognised in the voting for the Lance Todd Trophy in which he was the closest challenger to Warriors prop Jeff Lima.

However, Burrow says the plaudits count for little in the final analysis and he admitted his side paid the price for their slow start.

“It’s all about the result,” he said. “We didn’t get the result so we’re bitterly disappointed.

“I think the start was the big thing. Going 16-0 down against Wigan means you’re chasing your backs.

“But we showed a lot of character and we can take a lot from that.”