Warrington Wolves out to avenge Challenge Cup final heartache

WARRINGTON WOLVES loose forward Joe Westerman admits he 'owes one' against former club Hull FC and best mate Liam Watts as the battle for the League Leaders Shield comes down to tonight's final 80 minutes.
Hull's Scott Taylor in tears at full time in the Challenge Cup final that left Warrington heartbroken. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)Hull's Scott Taylor in tears at full time in the Challenge Cup final that left Warrington heartbroken. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)
Hull's Scott Taylor in tears at full time in the Challenge Cup final that left Warrington heartbroken. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

The sides meet for the first time since the East Yorkshire club came from behind to defeat Warrington in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

If Hull can win again at KCOM Stadium tonight they will finish top of Super League – and deny their rivals another trophy.

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Westerman, who left FC last winter after five years there, faces childhood pal Watts, the Hull prop, once more.

“I saw him on Tuesday and had a coffee with him,” he said.

“But I’m sick of seeing him now and talking about playing each other. What is it now, four times this season?

“We all know the game now but I owe him one this time. It would be nice to go there and win the League Leaders’ Shield. Personally I feel we owe Hull one.”

Leaders Warrington could have secured top spot last week if they had beaten Wigan Warriors but they squandered a 14-point advantage to lose and set up this evening’s exciting denouement.

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England international Westerman, 26, conceded: “It was definitely disappointing as the feeling is that we should’ve done it then.

“I can’t say Wigan won it – we lost it.

“We were in a position where it was probably harder to lose than it was to win but we did a few dumb things that weren’t good enough and we have to put right for this week.”

Westerman played more than 100 games for Hull, including the 2013 Challenge Cup loss to Wigan, after being bought from hometown Castleford Tigers.

He was sold on by coach Lee Radford for around £150,000 to Warrington and has impressed in his debut campaign.

“I’ve got nothing but good memories (of Hull),” he said.

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“There’s not much that I could say is wrong about the club.

“As heartbroken as I was at Wembley, I said that Hull were probably the only team I’d have wanted to lose to.”

Hull FC legend Kirk Yeaman has made the surprise decision to retire at the end of this season.

The former Great Britain centre, who only turned 33 last week, has only ever played for the Black and Whites, amassing 371 games for his hometown club and scoring 176 tries since debuting in 2001.