Sophie Robinson: No motivation required as Leeds Rhinos prepare for toughest test

We won the Challenge Cup last season and were in the Grand Final as well, but Castleford are probably the strongest team in the comp’ this year and I don’t think we have fully performed to where we can yet.

We are going in as underdogs, but the girls know what it is like to win the Challenge Cup final and none of us want to lose that.

Because we lost the Grand Final last year we know how that feels as well. Especially after getting beaten by Saints last Sunday, none of us want to go through that again so we aren’t short of motivation.

We wanted to go into the final on the back of a win, especially playing at Headingley, but we will take positives from last week.

We didn’t perform as we wanted to, but in the first half we did put up a good performance. We let ourselves down in the second half, which was disappointing, but also it will help us see what we need to fix up on.

We have had a big week’s training and we have been working on those areas and hopefully it will all fit together on Saturday.

I didn’t play in the game against Cas earlier in the season, but I watched it and they are a very good side who have strengthened really well.

Their strengths are all over the pitch and they have really developed. I think they are doing a good thing for Women’s Super League with the media this year as well.

Playing at Bolton as part of a triple-header with the men’s semi-finals is good for the women’s game.

Last year it was a stand-alone final at Warrington and it shows how far the women’s game has come to be able to play in a massive stadium on such a big day for the sport.

It gives us the opportunity to play on a big stage and I think we deserve it. It is also being streamed on the BBC app which is great because we will be able to show what we are about.

We are going to be able to reach a bigger market and it means the women’s game is going in the right direction.

It is also a big one for me because it is probably going to be my last final for Leeds, for the time being at least.

I am leaving at the end of August to go to Australia for a while to do a bit of work and some travelling. I am going to Melbourne for six months and I will see what comes up. I’ll probably travel the rest of Australia after that and I want to go out to Asia as well.

I am looking to play a bit of rugby while I am out there. I know Melbourne is a big Aussie Rules city, but I will see what is available and if not I might try a new sport, just for the social side of it. I want to get involved in something out there if I can.

It depends what happens, but I think if I come back, playing for the Rhinos is definitely something I’ll look at doing again.

I have loved it and I don’t think I could ever see myself playing for another Super League side, because I support Leeds as well.

Hopefully if I do come back they’ll let me back.

It hasn’t been easy being a Rhinos fan this year, but I think they will turn things around before the end of the season.

The next few weeks are going to be crucial, it is going to come down to the wire and I think probably the London game is the deciding factor. I trust they will get out of it.