Fans’ love affair with Challenge Cup is slowly being rebuilt

One of the biggest conundrums of recent times in rugby league has been trying to establish the greatest way of maximising the potential of the sport’s most famous knockout competition.

Undoubtedly, ask any supporter of the game aged 25 or over what some of their finest memories garnered from the game have been and the majority will be centred around that gloriously prestigious trophy.

In recent years, particularly those fans initiated on a diet of the modern Grand Final occasions at Old Trafford, the percentage might not be quite so high.

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It has been the paradox for so long; as a sport which is unabashed in its pursuit of bold, pioneering and inventive ideas, how does it simultaneously hold onto the tradition to which so many are accustomed?

The return to Wembley in 2006 after its seven-year displacement has certainly helped revive the competition’s esteem from a worryingly nebulous nature.

But the new stadium – albeit on the same site – has to be given time to develop its own history and memories.

Selfish Warrington fans will, quite rightly, argue it already has done so in the last two years alone, during which they have ventured south to lift consecutive titles, their abiding memories of a previous losing visit in 1990 and, even more distant, a last success in 1974, quickly banished.

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But in the main, people have still yet to fall completely back in love with Wembley.

One event which might accelerate that process is seeing Castleford – that unfashionable yet perennially evocative club – and their proud and vocal tribe of fans back there later this month.

For all the desire of irked Leeds supporters to end their own 12-year quest for a Challenge Cup trophy, their unprecedented success in the Super League during the intervening period means it is hard not to want one of the lesser-celebrated clubs to have their moment instead.

Castleford, whose early-season heroics as they led Super League were never realistically going to be sustainable, could certainly match or surpass Leeds over 80 minutes and then who knows what against Wigan or St Helens?

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If Leeds do get there, you would imagine there would be none of the surprising stage fright that ruined their approach against Warrington 12 months ago.

But, for the Tigers, it would be a fairytale finish for coach Terry Matterson as his six-year reign at Wheldon Road comes to an end.

And, what better way for hometown Danny Orr, now aged 33 – and a survivor of that luckless Castleford side which endured last-second semi-final misery against London Broncos in 1999 – to mark his first season back at Castleford than leading them out at Wembley? The fact it is the 25th anniversary of their last Cup triumph only adds to the romance of it all but they need more than blind sentimentality to overcome rivals so intent.

The Cup’s allure has definitely raised this season on the back of the new-look schedule whereby the quarter-finals are swiftly followed by the semis a fortnight later before, in three weeks, the main event itself materialises.

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The absurd recent practice where there was a gap of nine weeks between the fifth round and last eight has thankfully been abolished.

There will be more change next season when it is expected the final will be brought forward to July to escape a clash with the London Olympics.

In future, that may be the ideal date. The traditional May slot – ditched when the summer era arrived – is too early in the schedule while Bank Holiday in August is perhaps too close to the game’s other showcase event – the Grand Final in early October. Regardless, after some terrific quarter-finals – particularly the epic Warrington v Wigan tie – the scene is set for more vintage clashes this weekend.

The Challenge Cup is slowly winning its way back into the hearts of a doubting generation and a potentially classic finale is destined, whoever proceeds.