WATCH - St Helens tie will be our Challenge Cup final, admits Halifax coach Simon Grix

After beating Bradford Bulls 20-16 yesterday they became the first Championship club to reach the semi-finals since Hull KR in 2006.

The ‘reward’ for the part-timers is a tie against rampant Super League leaders Saints who have only lost one game all year.

It is also a repeat of the 1987 final at Wembley that Halifax famously won 19-18 – the last time they lifted the famous trophy.

Just to get to Wembley again would be a remarkable feat and not just because Saints stand in their way beforehand, but due to the fact no lower-league side has reached the final in its 122-year history.

Hull FC will play Warrington Wolves – a repeat of the 2016 final that Hull won – in the other semi-final in a double-header at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday July 27.

“We got the team the other two wanted to avoid,” said Grix, as Halifax reached their first Challenge Cup semi-final since 1988.

“Listen, that will be brilliant.

“It’s our final. Let’s be right; we don’t have any expectation of winning by any means.

“But we’ll go and give a good account of ourselves.

“It’s probably a tale the like of the young lads in the team – Chester Butler and so on – might be telling their grandkids in the future. About playing against…. I won’t reel off the St Helens players’ names… but it’s a good story for them and our fans get another well-deserved day out as well.”

Saints comfortably beat Wakefield Trinity 48-10 in Saturday’s quarter-final.

Coral Challenge Cup, semi-finals – (both matches to be played at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday July 27 – kick-off times to be confirmed): Warrington Wolves v Hull FC; St Helens v Halifax.

Coral Women’s Challenge Cup, quarter-finals: (to be played on weekend of June 22-23): Leeds Rhinos v Warrington Wolves; Keighley Albion v Wakefield Trinity; St Helens v Wigan Warriors; Castleford Tigers v Bradford Bulls.