BROWN FIRED UP FOUR VICTORY

Salford playmaker wants to avoid becoming the first player ever to lose four finals with four different clubs

KEVIN BROWN knows more about Challenge Cup final heartache than most.

The veteran Salford Red Devils playmaker wants to avoid making history this afternoon by becoming the first player to lose four finals with four different clubs.

And the stories behind each defeat leave the 36-year-old with a burning desire to set the record straight against Leeds.

Back in 2004 Brown was knocked out twice as Wigan lost to St Helens in Cardiff and spent the aftermath of the game barely aware he’d played in a major final.

F a s t forward five years and he had to be substituted in the early stages of Hu d d e r s - field’s defeat to Warrington after damaging his knee in a collision with his own team-mate.

By 2018 Brown was in a Wolves shirt but was part of the side ambushed by history- making Catalans, who became the first non-English club to lift the trophy. To make matters worse, the following year when Warrington provided their own underdog triumph against St Helens, Brown was watching from the stands after being de-registered due to a serious achilles injury.

“What it means is that I really, really want to win one now,” Brown said. “The first time I was only 19 and I just thought we’d be going back every year.

“It took quite a while for me to get back with Huddersfield and then I blew my knee out after just 10 minutes. They were both tough but the 2018 one was particularly gut-wrenching. We were massive favourites but we just didn’t play well – there was no excuses we just got outperformed, which really hurt.”

It say s much about Brown ’s standing in the sport t hat the f o l lowi n g year, despite b e i n g unavailable, Wo lve s coach Steve Price consulted him over constructing a game- plan without a recognised stand-off. Ian Watson knew Brown’s knowledge would be invaluable to a Salford squad that lost six players from last year’s Grand Final appearance, including the talismanic Jackson Hastings.

Now Brown hopes his experience of Challenge Cup disappointment can be used positively by the Red Devils.

The former England star said: “Any advice I give will be based around playing well and not worrying about anything else. That’s why 2018 with Warrington hurt so much, because we didn’t manage to do that. You have to make sure you perform to your best and don’t get yourself too emot iona l ly invested in anything else.

“I grew t ravelling to Challenge Cup finals to watch

Wigan with my family, and I’ve played in three.

“I’ve been o n th e losing side all three times unfortunately – but I am really excited about this one.”