It was billed as the most one-sided Challenge Cup final for years as the cup holders and runaway league leaders the Leeds Rhinos took on the Super 8s Qualifiers and massive underdogs, Hull Kingston Rovers.
Brian McDermott showed that he was far from complacent in mid-week interviews against the team who had already defeated the likes of Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves in the earlier rounds. Would the sleeping giant of Hull KR finally awaken in the Wembley cauldron or would it be business as usual for the all-conquering Rhinos.
The next eighty minutes would tell a magical story for one set of fans at the packed national stadium.
The massive support form Hull KR welcomed back their talisman Albert Kelly who passed a late fitness test to join Chris Chester's first choice seventeen. The Rhinos were also looking strong after naming a massive pack with a front line of Garbutt, Cuthbertson and Peacock but many in Blue & Amber were there to cheer the likes of Sinfield and Peacock in their last cup final.
Leeds opened the scoring after six minutes and a period of constant pressure. Mitch Garbutt went close before Jamie Peacock appeared to over off an Adam Cuthbertson offload, but had the ball stripped in the action of scoring. The loose ball went straight into the hands of Brett Delaney who couldn't believe his luck as he touched the ball down under the sticks. Skipper Kevin Sinfield kicked the two and the Rhinos had a big day nerve settling opener.
On sixteen Danny McGuire was the beneficiary when Peacock and Joel Moon combined with inside passes to cut the KR defence open and find Danny McGuire in support to dive over. Sinfield again added the extras.
Just two more minutes had passed when a sensational passing move put Tom Briscoe. Ryan Hall diffused a bomb and went downfield before finding Carl Ablett. On the next play the ball was moved to the right with Briscoe walking through the KR tacklers off a Kallum Watkins pass. Sinfield hit the post but the Rhinos were 16-0 up.
For the remaining twenty minutes of the first half KR for back into the game but they couldn't break the Leeds line and went into the interval still with a mountain to climb.
For the start of the second half the rain had come, but it didn't put the Rhinos off their stride. Two minutes in and Tom Briscoe diffused a Kieran Dixon bomb to the corner and went ninety metres before being tackled by Ken Sio but had done enough to slide over for his second of the afternoon. Sinfield slid the conversion in off the post.
On fifty-eight Brad Singleton got in on the scoring action for the Rhinos when he crashed over the line off a Fob Burrow short pass. Sinfield added a simple kick for 28-0 and any dreams that The Robins had of cup glory had been extinguished.
On sixty-five Tom Briscoe completed his hat-trick on the overlap off a Kallum Watkins pass to dive in at the corner. Once again, Sinfield slid the ball wide but at 32-0 he was probably past caring.
Kallum Watkins was again the provider as he bust the line on seventy-five and then found Rob Burrow in support to canter over under the sticks and give Sinfield the kick to take the Rhinos to 38-0.
One minute later and Briscoe got his record equalling fourth of the afternoon, again thanks to the hands of Watkins and when Sinfield added the two it was a record setting winning margin and they had nilled the opposition.
With two minutes left on the clock it was fifty. When Dixon dropped the ball in the tackle it was picked up by McGuire who found Tom Briscoe to register a record breaking fifth try and the Sinfield goal made it fifty-nil.
While this was yet another glorious afternoon for the Rhinos it was a nightmare in equal measure for the Robins. It was a record-breaking winning margin, the first time a player has registered five tries in a Challenge Cup Final, and only the second time that one side has scored fifty points in a final.
KR froze on the big stage but the seasoned professionals from Headingley were focussed on their job and delivered for their coach and supporters.
Rhinos: Hardaker, Briscoe (5T), Watkins, Moon, Hall, Sinfield (7G), McGuire (T), Garbutt, Cuthbertson, Peacock, Ward S, Ablett, Delaney (T). Subs: Burrow (T), Leuluai, Achurch, Singleton (T).
KR: Dixon, Mantellato, Welham, Salter, Sio, Blair, Kelly, Walker, Lunt, Puletua, Larroyer, Horner, McCarthy. Subs: Boudebza, Donaldson, Tilse, Allgood.
Referee: Ben Thaler
Attendance: 80,140
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