Webster is declaring new Warr on Wolves
Hull stand-off leads charge to bring home glory again
vHULL KR assistant coach James Webster hopes the Robins can call on the spirit of 2006 in tonight’s quarterfinal clash with Warrington.
Aussie Webster (above) was the scrum-half as then Championship Rovers stunned Warrington 40-36 at Craven Park.
It was the last time a non-Super League club reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup – something that will be repeated if Bradford beat Halifax on Sunday.
But Webster’s focus is on causing another upset against Wolves coach Steve Price (below) and a side nine places above them in Super League. Webster said: “You see scorelines and upsets
that you sometimes don’t expect in the Challenge Cup.
“We’re at home, we give ourselves a great chance, but we understand they’re a fantastic side that have a couple of fantastic players we need to stop.”
Webster is the last link to the Rovers side from 13 years ago, though Ben Westwood was in the Warrington team that day.
“It was one of my highlights as a player at KR,” said Webster. “It was a great event for the club and the first time they’d been tested by a bigger club on their rise from a mid-table Championship team to a promotion push.
“We had a hungry young team plus some experience and that win was the stepping stone to what you see today.” ALBERT KELLY helped Jekyll-and-Hyde Hull FC find their reliable Challenge Cup persona to knock out holders Catalans.
The Black and Whites’ 55-2 capitulation against Huddersfield last week was the third time this season they have conceded a half century of points – despite sitting fourth in Super League.
But they have lost just once in the cup in the last four seasons, having lifted the trophy in 2016 and 2017 – and are now two wins away from another triumph.
Stand-off Kelly can epitomise that inconsistency, but having led Hull KR to the 2015 final he thrives in this competition and scored one try and made two others.
With two-time Lance Todd Trophy winner Marc Sneyd pulling the strings from scrumhalf and right-side duo Jake Connor and Ratu Naulago outstanding, Hull eased past a disappointing Dragons.
They made history at Wembley last year by becoming the first non-English club to win the famous old competition, but barring a spirited second quarter, never looked capable of defending their trophy.
Steve McNamara’s men conceded two tries in the opening stages of both halves to leave themselves too much to do.
Hull fans can start dreaming of another Wembley trip after Connor (right) got them off to a perfect start by finishing a smart Sneyd kick in the sixth minute. It was quickly 12-0 when Remi Casty’s error allowed Sneyd to pick out Bureta Faraimo on the opposite wing, despite Dragons protests of a forward pass.
But the French side gradually fought their way back into the contest and were within four points at the break after a quickfire double of their own.
Lewis Tierney finished both smartly in the right corner, first from a David Mead pass and then via Tony Gigot. But any notion of a Catalans comeback were extinguished by a sluggish start to the second half.
Sika Manu stormed on to a Kelly inside ball to score before Connor intercepted Kenny Edwards’ pass and sent Naulago racing to the line.
The game was over as a contest when Kelly dummied through a gap to put his side four converted tries in front.
Sneyd’s metronomic left boot added a drop goal before Naulago pounced on another Edwards error for his second and Kelly broke in midfield before sending Jamie Shaul to the line.
Danny Houghton strolled over for a late effort that summed up the second-half gulf between the teams.