GLORY BID LINED UP
TOM LINEHAM wants to be remembered for more than madcap mayhem and bad luck.
The 25-year-old Warrington winger revels in being one of the oddest characters in Super League.
He has a mannequin he calls Cynthia that he dresses up and stands in his bedroom window to freak out his neighbours.
Lineham landed in hot water with Wolves bosses after telling Starsport he was “the fat pig on the wing” who was weighing the club down.
His “lazy” attitude to training also saw him loaned out to Rochdale for a spell two years ago.
But Lineham believes he has finally found someone who understands him in coach Steve Price.
Missed
And he’s determined to write himself a new storyline today that nobody can find fault with.
He said: “I have missed out twice on Wembley.
“With Hull I broke my leg the week before (the 2013 final defeat to Wigan).
“And in my first season with Warrington (2016) I was terrible and had really poor form, so I did not deserve to get picked for that final.
“Hopefully this is third time lucky. It is the pinnacle of your career, if you can win a Challenge Cup, so I am really looking forward to it.”
Lineham’s try-scoring stats have always shone, with his 26 in 24 games for Hull in 2015 convincing Warrington to sign him.
His weight shot up, and his form crashed down, in his first year with Wolves but he still managed 16 in 22 games.
Last year he clocked up 21 in 27 and this season he’s on course for his best yet, with 19 already to his name. Lineham is convinced it’s because Price accepts him for what he is – weird sense of humour and all.
He said: “I have a really good relationship with Steve. He gets me, which is very rare because most people don’t.”
Warrington are also vying for Super League silverware, just a year after fighting for survival in the Middle 8s.
That disastrous season saw Tony Smith sacked and replaced by Price, but Lineham believes that experience is now helping the team.
He said: “It helped our character. Steve Price always talks about it being a really tough culture.
“It’s a really tight-knit squad and the best squad I have ever been part of. Everyone fights for each other.
“There are no cliques and we all get on like a house on fire. It’s special to be part of and full credit to Steve and his coaching staff for that.”
The only thing Lineham might struggle with before the Wembley showdown is the loss of his match-day ritual.
He added: “My routine is to clean, vacuum, wipe the surfaces down and make sure everything is sparkling. I find it very therapeutic.”