Examining Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers & Wakefield Trinity's connections to Wembley Cup finalists
No teams from Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers or Wakefield Trinity will be treading the hallowed turf on Saturday, but there are close connections to this year’s Wembley finalists.
Rugby league’s last five visits to the national stadium have featured one of the West Yorkshire sides, with Leeds’ men winning the Challenge Cup behind closed doors in 2020 and their women being runners-up in each of the past two seasons. Tigers were beaten in the 2021 men’s showpiece and Wakefield Trinity were 1895 Cup winners 12 months ago. The 2022 final was played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Two ex-Rhinos players are in contention to feature for Hull KR in tomorrow’s men’s Challenge Cup final and one could be on duty with opponents Warrington Wolves. Rovers are captained by loose-forward Elliot Minchella, who made six first team appearances for Rhinos from 2013-14.
Robins outside-back Jack Broadbent is another Rhinos academy graduate, having played 22 times in three seasons from 2020. He joined Castleford from Leeds before moving to Hull KR last year. The East Yorkshire side’s assistant-coach Danny Ward was a Challenge Cup runner-up with Rhinos at Cardiff in 2003 and 2005 and also had a brief spell as team boss at Castleford two years ago. Danny Richardson is a former Castleford player and Hull KR’s Dean Hadley, James Batchelor, Jai Whitbread and Kelepi Tanginoa all previously played for Wakefield.
On the other side, Warrington forward James Harrison had a spell on loan at Leeds, from Featherstone Rovers, during the Covid-hit 2020 season. Wolves’ pack also features ex-Wakefield man Jordy Crowther.
Six former Leeds men are included among the initial squads named for the 1895 Cup final between Featherstone Rovers and York Knights. Winger Derrell Olpherts is in Rovers’ initial squad, despite suffering a hamstring injury during last Sunday’s Championship win at Barrow Raiders. Olpherts featured for Castleford at Wembley four years ago and was a non-playing member of the squad when Trinity beat Sheffield Eagles there in the lower divisions’ competition last season.
Ex-Rhinos prop King Vuniyayawa is also in contention for Featherstone. Rovers’ Ben Reynolds and Ryan Hampshire have both previously played for Castleford and Wakefield and Brad Day, Gadwin Springer and Calum Turner are ex-Tigers. Rovers coach Paul Cooke has a spell as a player with Wakefield.
Former Leeds men Paul McShane, Jordan Thompson, Oli Field and Kieran Hudson are in York’s squad, which is coached by ex-Trinity boss Mark Applegarth. McShane was a teammate of Olpherts for Tigers at Wembley in 2021 and Thompson and Hudson are also former Castleford players.
York, though, will be without ex-Leeds and Wakefield back Ben Jones-Bishop, who is cup-tied after playing for Sheffield earlier in the competition. Knights forward Jacob Gannon is brother of Leeds’ Morgan Gannon.
Amy Hardcastle, Caitlin Casey and Shona Hoyle have been named in St Helens’ 21 for the Women’s Challenge Cup showpiece against Wigan Warriors. Hardcastle and Casey played for Leeds in their 2023 and 2024 Wembley defeats by Saints and Hoyle was in Rhinos’ side last year.