Former Leeds loanee Lunt keen to dish out more Challenge Cup agony as Giants take on Rhinos

The West Yorkshire clubs have been paired together in the pick of the competition’s fifth round draw which also sees Hull FC host Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Hull KR entertain Super League leaders Wigan Warriors.

While on loan from Huddersfield last season, Lunt was part of the Leeds side that reached Wembley to face Warrington Wolves, only for the Headingley club to agonisingly lose the Challenge Cup final for a third successive year.

The reigning champions may have dominated Super League in the summer era but Rhinos have frustratingly lost all six Challenge Cup finals they have undertaken since last triumphing in 1999.

In-form Huddersfield, currently second only to Wigan in the league, will fancy their chances of bringing more misery on them when the sides meet at John Smith’s Stadium on the weekend of May 11-12.

They won 32-8 at Headingley earlier in the season and will hope to go at least one step further than last year when they were beaten at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Warrington.

But Lunt, the England international who went on to enjoy Grand Final glory with Leeds before returning to Huddersfield this term, said: “Games like this are second nature for Leeds.

“You can’t read anything into any other match that has happened before.

“This will totally be on its own. Leeds were absolutely gutted (at Wembley) last year and so was I. But at the same time we stuck together and got on with it.

“Leeds just don’t dwell on things. They don’t let themselves get down; they are such a strong bunch of people.

“We are like that here at Huddersfield too, though, and are going really well at the moment.

“We’re winning and winning some games by quite a lot of points while even when we’re not playing great we’re still picking up results.

“We all want to get some silverware. We’ve experience of being at Wembley with Giants (losing to Warrington in 2009) and all want to get back there.

“This looks like it could shape up to be a cracking cup tie and we’re confident in what we can do.”

Lunt, crucially, scored two tries to help Huddersfield overcome resilient Championship side Batley Bulldogs 13-4 in Sunday’s fourth round tie.

He has blossomed even further after his seminal spell at Leeds, is pushing for a World Cup place and now has eight tries in his last seven games.

“Batley were absolutely fantastic,” he said, about John Kear’s valiant part-timers.

“We never under-estimated them and knew what it would be like playing up that famous hill of theirs.

“They played the conditions really well but we worked out a way to eventually win it.

“Things are going well for me, too, but I’m playing behind a big pack and getting a lot of joy from all their go-forward.

“I’ve a lot to thank them for and, with the tries, it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

“The Challenge Cup means a lot to us here and we’re looking forward to pushing on.”

Hull KR, who impressively defeated St Helens to reach the last 16, have a chance to atone for Easter Monday’s club record club record 84-6 home defeat to Wigan when they reconvene.

Wakefield coach Richard Agar, meanwhile, faces a reunion with his old Hull side, while Bradford Bulls will fancy their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals after drawing London Broncos away.

Championship club York City Knights have a thankless task as they venture to Perpignan to tackle Super League Catalan Dragons.

However, there will be at least one club from the lower tier in the last eight as Sheffield Eagles, famous cup winners in 1998, were drawn at home to unbeaten Championship leaders Halifax.

Familiar faces: who meets who

The draw for the fifth round of Tetley’s Challenge Cup is:

Catalan Dragons v York.

Hull FC v Wakefield.

Workington v Widnes.

Hull KR v Wigan.

London Broncos v Bradford.

Warrington v Salford.

Huddersfield v Leeds.

Sheffield Eagles v Halifax.

Ties to be played on the weekend of May 11-12.