Scott Taylor disappointed to lose home comforts but magic of Challenge Cup still alive for Goole Vikings
It had all the makings of a classic Challenge Cup story.
For cup romantics, the prospect of Sam Burgess and George Williams stepping off the Warrington Wolves bus and making their way into the Victoria Pleasure Grounds felt like a throwback to the competition's roots.
But delays to the redevelopment of Goole Vikings' home mean the clash will instead be played on the other side of the country at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
While reversing the tie brings financial benefits, Scott Taylor shares the town's disappointment.
"I'm really gutted," said the Vikings head coach.
"The ground should have been done a few months ago and now won't be ready until next month. If it had stuck to the original plan, we'd be playing at home this week in the biggest game in Goole's history in the last 40 or 50 years in all sports.
"Because of the delays to the stadium, which were out of our control, half of it is still shut. The club and the town are missing a massive opportunity. That's obviously frustrating.
"But it's a potential earner for the club financially. We've seen the struggles of other clubs and are only 18 months into being a new club. Whether we earn five, 10 or 15 thousand from this game, it's massive for the club's security going forward."
Goole are the lowest-ranked team in the competition as they navigate the challenges of the Championship in only their second season as a professional club.
Taylor's men claimed wins on the road at Swinton Lions and Dewsbury Rams either side of their shock cup victory over Halifax Panthers – but a clash with the in-form Wire presents a different challenge altogether.
"I'm viewing it as a free hit and a great experience for everyone involved in the club," added Taylor.
"It's a reward for all the work that's been put in, whether that's the fans supporting us from day one, the players, the chairman or staff.
"We'll go there and take the experience in. The players got us that upset win at Halifax and will get the chance to run out at a Super League ground against England internationals in front of a decent crowd.
"It's a valuable experience to play in a match they may never have thought they would do so early in their careers.
"It's a real positive week for the club."
Although they are still in their infancy, this is not new territory for the Vikings.
Goole faced Super League opposition last February – their reward for a memorable win at London Broncos on their professional debut.
Taylor is optimistic that Saturday's tie against Warrington will be closer than the 82-0 defeat to Wakefield Trinity.
"I literally had 17 fit players for that game," he recalled.
"We did the best we could and ended up getting beaten by 80 points against a red-hot Wakey team.
"The difference this time is that I've got 26/27 fit players and the training levels have gone up because they're desperate to play in this game. And we've already got more wins on the board than this time last year in a tougher league.
"We're in a stronger place for our biggest game and biggest test to date against an unbeaten Warrington team.
"I'm confident that we'll be more competitive than in the Wakefield game. It was all last minute back then and we finished the game with 14 players.
"We're massively up against it again but if we lose 82-0 this weekend, I'd be very gutted. I'd like to think we'll put up more of a fight than that."
Win or lose, Goole's trip to Warrington is another chapter in the magic of the Challenge Cup.
Taylor has experienced the cup at the sharp end as a three-time winner but there is something special about outsiders stepping onto the big stage, chasing memories they will never forget.
"I tapped into it massively when we went to Halifax as underdogs," he said.
"The bookmakers had us at 12/1, which were decent-sized odds. But we believed we could get the win and went there and did it with a brilliant performance.
"All my best memories as a player, other than the England caps and the one Grand Final, are from the Challenge Cup. I've got a lot of good senior boys who have had similar experiences so I tap into those as well.
"For me, it's not about the result this weekend but the story and the experience. We'll go and have a free hit at a top-quality side."