Huddersfield Giants 10 Warrington Wolves 46: Challenge Cup nightmare highlights chasm between Yorkshire clubs and north-west rivals

Leeds Rhinos were the county's last winners in 2020 but there has been a representative in each of the previous four finals.

That run is over after Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves underlined the gulf between the north-west clubs and their rivals across the Pennines.

After seeing Wigan swat aside Hull KR to book their place at Wembley, Warrington trumped them with a devastating attacking performance to leave Huddersfield Giants red-faced.

Huddersfield's hopes of setting up a rematch of the 2022 final were over inside the opening quarter after conceding 18 points in as many minutes.

The Wolves went on to score eight tries in a rout that puts Wigan on notice ahead of their Wembley showdown on June 8.

There will be Yorkshire representatives at the national stadium in the shape of Leeds Rhinos Women, Wakefield Trinity and Sheffield Eagles but the main event will be contested by the two best sides in the men's competition.

With positive memories of their 31-8 win at the Totally Wicked Stadium in the quarter-finals, Warrington were too fast and too slick for Huddersfield on their return to the stadium.

Ian Watson's side stunned Catalans Dragons in Perpignan in the previous round but they could not live with the Wolves in the St Helens sunshine.

The drubbing – coming hot on the heels of a 48-6 home defeat by Wigan – extends Huddersfield's losing run to four games and highlights just how far away they are from competing with the cream of Super League on a weekly basis.

Indeed, Hull KR are the only Yorkshire team inside the top six in an inauspicious start to the league campaign for a county that has not provided a Grand Final winner since 2017.

The Giants remain very much in the play-off picture but have lost their way with Wembley in sight.

In the words of Watson, Huddersfield capitulated against Wigan in their previous outing.

The Giants head coach was hoping for a response from his team but instead saw the effects of a hangover.

Huddersfield withstood Warrington's first raid after Adam Swift was bundled into touch inside 90 seconds, only to buckle following Josh Drinkwater's opener.

George Williams sent Matty Ashton into space with a superb looping pass and raced through in support before keeping his composure to find Toby King who put Drinkwater over under the posts.

One quickly became two when Matt Dufty motored through a hole in Huddersfield's right edge to give Ashton a clear run to the line.

Swift spurned a chance to get the Giants back in it after failing to successfully juggle a loose pass from Williams – and it soon got worse for Watson's men.

With Huddersfield flagging on their own line, Danny Walker helped himself to a try from dummy-half.

Josh Thewlis added his third goal to effectively end the Giants' challenge inside the opening quarter.

Huddersfield belatedly got into the game and began to apply some pressure.

Tui Lolohea's grubber kick forced a drop-out and Swift touched down in the next set.

Esan Marsters punched a hole in Warrington's right edge and offloaded to Jake Connor who gave Swift an easy finish in the corner.

Thewlis kicked the restart dead to give the Giants half an opening but they were hit with a sucker punch as half-time approached.

After Swift was denied by Dufty, the Wolves flicked a switch to move out of sight.

Walker spotted a hole in the Huddersfield defence and Williams was on his shoulder, the half-back stepping Connor near halfway before shrugging off Adam Clune to score a scintillating 70-metre try.

Williams hit the post with a drop-goal attempt on the stroke of half-time but Warrington fans could book their Wembley hotels with confidence during the interval.

After losing Swift to injury at the break, the Giants were staring down the barrel of another thumping when Dufty scored quick-fire tries.

Thewlis missed a penalty but the Wolves did not have to wait much longer to extend their lead, Dufty taking advantage of tired defence to score out wide after Currie charged down Clune's kick.

Dufty finished on the opposite flank minutes later to punish an error by Hugo Salabio.

Kevin Naiqama scored a consolation try after forcing Sam Powell into a mistake but that was quickly forgotten when the Warrington hooker scored from Williams' inside ball with Connor in the sin bin for shoving Thewlis.

Connor was swatted aside by Rodrick Tai on his return to round off a wretched afternoon for the Giants.

Huddersfield Giants: Connor, Swift, Marsters, Naiqama, Wallis, Lolohea, Clune, Wilson, Milner, English, Murchie, Cudjoe, Yates. Substitutes: Golding, Ikahihifo, Rushton, Salabio.

Tries: Swift (25), Naiqama (61)

Goals: Connor 1/2

Sin bin: Connor (67)

Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Thewlis, King, Tai, Ashton, Williams, Drinkwater, Harrison, Walker, Vaughan, Nicholson, Fitzgibbon, Currie. Substitutes: Philbin, Musgrove, Crowther, Powell.

Tries: Drinkwater (7), Ashton (9), Walker (18), Williams (34), Dufty (48, 54), Powell (76), Tai (79)

Goals: Thewlis 7/10

Referee: Liam Moore.