Party like it's 1999 - Wembley win over London Broncos is Leeds Rhinos' fourth greatest moment

Rhinos’ rallying cry during their 1999 Challenge Cup campaign was ‘78’.

Leeds had not won at Wembley since retaining the trophy with an epic victory against St Helens in 1978.

It was an itch coach Graham Murray and his players were desperate to scratch, but they did it the hard way.

After reaching the Super League Grand Final in 1998, their first game of the following season was a Cup rematch against Wigan Warriors.

When Barrie McDermott was sent off in the opening quarter the long wait seemed set to continue, but a brilliant team performance pulled off an against-the-odds win.

Rhinos beat St Helens in their next tie, won at Widnes Vikings in the quarter-finals and then came from 10-0 down to beat Bradford Bulls and secure their place in the last final played at the old Wembley.

London Broncos were Rhinos’ surprise opponents and Leeds were hot favourites, but the showpiece - on May 1, 1999 - was far from straightforward.

London led 10-0 early on and were 16-12 ahead early in the second half before a try by McDermott turned the tide and Rhinos went on to win 52-16, a record score for a Challenge Cup final.

It was a huge day for the club, less than three years after the takeover by Paul Caddick and Gary Hetherington which put the sleeping giant back on its feet.

Leeds have had more impressive wins since and their next Cup triumph, in 2014, was almost as eagerly anticipated, but the success 21 years ago was huge.

Afterwards, the team posed with a banner reading “Rhinos fans this is for you!”

Since the early 1980s, Leeds had been known as rugby league’s underachievers, a big club who won nothing.

They went from 1988 to 1999 without lifting any silverware and 1984 had been their previous win in a competition open to all clubs.

It put smiles on faces and the Wembley success - though it wasn’t backed up for another half a decade - confirmed Leeds were back as a force in the game.

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