Forty years of pain and misery washed away in a sea of emotions on Saturday afternoon as Hull KR finally climbed rugby league's sacred steps and lifted the Challenge Cup once more.

Under the Wembley arch, where their dreams crumbled in 2015 and 2023, the Robins secured legendary status in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Tom Davies, who suffered the agony of missing the 2017 final after being forced to pull out in the warm-up, scored the decisive try three minutes from time to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Tyrone May's grubber kick caused chaos in the Warrington Wolves in-goal area and Davies was in the right place to finish, setting up the chance for Mikey Lewis to boot Willie Peters' men into the history books.

From a tight angle, the Man of Steel held his nerve as the best players do in the crunch moments.

Lewis sank to his knees in tears upon hearing the final hooter before being embraced by Jez Litten, two hometown heroes now bonded for life.

Rovers – so often the nearly men, the hard-luck story, the butt of taunts from the west of the city – finally silenced the doubters and gave their long-suffering fans a memory to last a lifetime.

Even the relentless rain could not dampen the mood as the Robins celebrated a first major trophy since 1985 and just their second Challenge Cup success, a jigging Peters embodying the intense relief in his drenched shirt.

Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella lifts the Challenge Cup. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

placeholder image — Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella lifts the Challenge Cup. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

With the monkey off their back, Rovers appear primed to replicate the success of Roger Millward's legendary side.

A third final defeat in two years did not bear thinking about but that was the reality facing KR before Davies' late intervention.

Warrington were the better side, marshalled superbly by former Hull FC half-back Marc Sneyd.

The veteran won the Lance Todd Trophy for the third time after showcasing his peerless kicking game but unlike his previous two successes, he could not guide his team to glory on this occasion.

The full-time hooter sparked joyous scenes. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

Sneyd played the conditions masterfully, yet it was a scruffy kick at the other end that settled a tense final.

Josh Thewlis' try appeared to have secured a 10th Challenge Cup win for the Wire, a team 12 points behind the table-topping Robins in Super League, only for Peters' men to dig deep and deny them.

After four decades without major silverware, Hull KR were never going to do it the easy way.

Rovers gambled on the fitness of Michael McIlorum, who was due to be out for another month with a bicep injury, and the veteran hooker played his part in an absorbing final before departing 27 minutes in.

Michael McIlorum passed a fitness test to play at Wembley. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

Warrington edged the opening exchanges after the heavens opened, helped by KR's ill-discipline, but could find no way through Super League's meanest defence.

Adam Holroyd was denied after the video referee spotted a ball steal on Jack Broadbent by Rodrick Tai but the Robins otherwise held firm.

Rovers failed to land any telling blows of their own in an attritional opening 40 minutes.

The one time they earned a repeat set courtesy of Lewis' kick, Sneyd found touch from the drop-out.

A lapse of discipline from Ben Currie invited Lewis to open the scoring from a penalty, the half-back dusting himself down to kick the goal after being taken high by the Wire forward.

Jesse Sue coughed up the ball from the restart to hand the initiative back to Warrington but Rovers refused to budge.

Josh Thewlis scored Warrington's only try. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

The Robins ramped up the intensity as half-time approached and appeared to be wearing the Wolves down, only for disaster to strike.

Whether it was the occasion or the greasy conditions, the usually reliable Joe Burgess spilt Sneyd's steepling kick close to his own line and was punished as Warrington benefited from a slice of fortune.

Sneyd's kick ricocheted off the boot of Litten and into the path of Thewlis who gleefully accepted the gift.

When Sneyd nailed his touchline conversion with the last act of the half and saluted the KR fans packed behind the posts, Rovers faced a huge character test.

The early signs weren't promising after the restart, Lewis losing the ball after fielding another kick from the increasingly influential Sneyd.

Lewis quickly atoned for his mistake with a huge 70-metre drop-out that found touch but they failed to stretch the Wolves.

KR's defence kept them in the contest as the uncharacteristic errors came one after another, which had as much to do with the occasion as the conditions.

Warrington earned repeat set after repeat set, wearing the Robins down in a fashion familiar to Peters' men.

KR's race appeared to be run when Sneyd nailed a 20/40 under intense pressure – but a gripping final delivered a memorable late twist.

After winning his team a penalty with a surge in Wire territory, Davies pounced to finish May's kick and spark wild celebrations on the terraces.

All that was left to do was for Lewis to write his name into club folklore as the man who kicked the goal that ended KR's long trophy drought.

Warrington Wolves: Dufty, Thewlis, King, Tai, Lindop, Williams, Sneyd, Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Holroyd, Fitzgibbon, Currie. Substitutes: Harrison, Philbin, Crowther, Ratchford.

Tries: Thewlis (39)

Goals: Sneyd 1/1

Hull KR: Broadbent, Davies, Hiku, Batchelor, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, McIlorum, Waerea-Hargreaves, Hadley, Whitbread, Minchella. Substitutes: Litten, Luckley, Tanginoa, Brown.

Tries: Davies (77)

Goals: Lewis 2/2

Referee: Liam Moore.