The 2019 Challenge Cup Final was the deciding game of the Rugby Football League's 2019 Challenge Cup competition, the 118th staging of the competition. The match was held at Wembley Stadium in London on 24 August 2019 with kick off at 15:00. The final was contested by the Warrington Wolves and St Helens, the first time the two sides have met in a major final.
Background The two sides have never met in a Challenge Cup final before. It had been 11 years since St Helens last won in the Challenge Cup Final, and despite final appearances in 2016 and 2018, Warrington have not triumphed since 2012.
Warrington came into the game on the back of five straight defeats in Super League, and with being defeated by the Catalans Dragons in last season's final. On the other hand, the Saints were leading the way at the top of the table, losing just three games all season, two of which came at the London Broncos (one of those games going to golden point extra time), with the other, away to Catalans. They had not lost a home game so far in the season.
Route to the final Warrington Wolves Warrington escaped the sixth round with a narrow 26–24 victory over rivals Wigan. Warrington then faced Hull KR in the quarter finals winning 28 points to 22. Warrington's semi-final opposition was also a Kingston-upon-Hull side, this time Hull F.C., to which they secured their most comfortable win en route to the final.
RoundOppositionScore6th Wigan Warriors (H)26–24QF Hull KR (A)28–22SF Hull F.C. (N)22–14
St Helens St Helens faced Super League side Huddersfield Giants in the sixth round, beating them 22–16. A 48–10 thrashing of Wakefield Trinity in the quarter finals saw the Saints progress to the semis where they faced Championship side Halifax and getting a comfortable victory to progress to the final.
RoundOppositionScore6th Huddersfield Giants (A)22–16QF Wakefield Trinity (H)48–10SF Halifax (N)26–2
Match details
Teams Warrington WolvesPositionSt Helens 1 Stefan Ratchford 23 Lachlan Coote 2 Tom Lineham 2 Tommy Makinson 3 Bryson Goodwin 3 Kevin Naiqama 18 Toby King 4 Mark Percival 5 Josh Charnley 5 Regan Grace 11 Ben Currie 1 Jonny Lomax 15 Declan Patton 6 Theo Fages 8 Chris Hill 8 Alex Walmsley 9 Daryl Clark 9 James Roby 10 Mike Cooper 10 Luke Thompson 13 Ben Murdoch-Masila 11 Zeb Taia 12 Jack Hughes 17 Dominique Peyroux 14 Jason Clark 15 Morgan Knowles 19 Sitaleki Akauola 13 Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook 17 Joe Philbin 16 Kyle Amor 23 Matt Davis 20 Jack Ashworth 22 Jake Mamo 12 Joseph Paulo Steve Price Coach Justin Holbrook
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