5th Round
Widnes Vikings 18 l. Hull FC 32

2008 Challenge Cup Index [Draw] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: Challenge Cup

Hull FC Coach backing Widnes
Tue May 13, 2008
Source: www.therfl.co.uk

Hull FC boss Peter Sharp believes Widnes Vikings have what it takes to compete in engage Super League after his team claimed a hard-fought 32-18 victory over Steve McCormack's side in the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

Sharp's Hull side were tested by upwardly mobile Widnes and he was impressed with what he saw.

He said: "It was a very, very difficult game of rugby league. They are a Super League team, judging by their performance today. I knew it was going to be hard and the players should have recognised that as well."

Sharp said his team could have played better but he was happy to take the victory.

He added: "Yes we could have been sharper, yes we could have controlled the ball better but to come here and get a win against a very physical side like Widnes is a result and I'm happy.

'We should have put them to the sword a bit earlier - we certainly had the chances but credit to Widnes they dug in.

"We have one or two injuries and Gareth Raynor has a pulled stomach muscle which could keep him out but we will patch ourselves up."

Widnes boss McCormack was full of praise for his side.

He said: "I'm really proud of the players and the way they have played. Hull are a top Super League team and for us to be still in it at the 70-minute marker just shows how far we have come.

"They have some big boys in there and they are hard to stop but I thought the likes of Iain Morrison and Jim Gannon stood up. We had seven under-21 players out there and they competed against a top Super League side."

Report Source: www.therfl.co.uk


Airlie News: Hull FC v Widnes
Sat May 10, 2008
Source: www.hullfc.com

Hull FC coach Peter Sharp will give National League One Widnes Vikings ultimate respect when the two sides meet in the Carnegie Challenge Cup fifth round at the Stobart Stadium on Sunday (3pm).

The Hull boss doesn't see this as an automatic passage in to the quarter finals, far from it and said: "Widnes is a good side and they are very well coached so we're not taking anything for granted.

"We expect a tough, hard game and we know we will have to be on top of our game to progress to the next round of the competition.

"There is a lot at stake for both clubs. We felt we let ourselves down last year when we lost at home in the quarter finals to Catalans and we want to make up for that.

"I felt it was an excellent opportunity to get to within 80 minutes of the final. We now have a chance of making the quarters again and we don't want a slip up this time around.

"Widnes on the other hand is an ambitious club and they have Super League aspirations of their own. They will see this game as a golden opportunity to enhance their bid for a Super League spot.

"I have no doubts they will be fired up for this game and we have to make sure they don't get control and gain in confidence and the only way of stopping that is by controlling the game ourselves from the start."

Despite the disappointment of last weeks controversial derby defeat in Cardiff, Hull have bounced back at training this week and Sharp added. "Everyone was down after last Sunday but by Wednesday when we reported back for training everyone had dusted themselves down and their was a spring in everyone's step again.

"The spirit, desire and determination at training this week have been excellent and it has once again shown the character of these players to pick up their form."

Despite Hull's injury hit start to the season, Sharp is still confident his side will turn the corner and start climb up the table.

"The season still has a long way to run and there is plenty of footie left, "he said. "I believe we have a lot of wins in us and we just need to spring a couple of results together and we'll start climbing the league ladder.

"I have seen signs in the last few weeks that things are beginning to piece together but at the moment we're a little patchy. We're putting together some good stuff and then falling off and it's a case of keeping that good stuff going for longer.

"That will come the more we can train and play together. Unfortunately that has been a luxury so far this season."

Hull FC (from): Berrigan, Burnett, Byrne, Briscoe, Cusack, Dowes, Dykes, Hall, Houghton, Lee, Manu, Radford, Raynor, Sing, Thackray, Washbrook, Whiting, Wheeldon, Yeaman.

Richard Whiting plays 100th game for Hull
"It's a milestone I am really proud of," said Whiting. "When I joined Hull in 2004 and didn't think I would have reached 100 games this quickly.

"Obviously, I would have passed a 100 sometime ago had I not broken my arm in the Huddersfield pre-season game.

"Still I'll hit a ton on Sunday and hopefully I'll be celebrating with a win.

"It is going to be tough because they are going pretty well in National League One and had they not been deducted nine points they'd be challenging Salford at the top."

Tickle out
The absence of back row Danny Tickle is a blow because he has been one of Hull's most consistent performers all season.

He misses his first game with a dead leg but he is expected to be fit for next weekend's trip to Harlequins.

Tickle is Hull's top point's scorer with 108 points from four tries and 46 goals

Centre Craig Hall is expected to take on the kicking duties and the Cup has been kind to him having scored six tries and 17 goals in last season's competition.

Milestones
Gareth Raynor's two tries last weekend took him to a 100 for the club.

Richard Horne also needs to two tries for his Hull career century

Motu Tony is one game short of his 100 for the club

Ewan Dowes completed his 150th appearance for Hull at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, last weekend.

Richard Whiting plays his 100th game for Hull on Sunday.

Previous games against Widnes
Hull last played Widnes in the 2005 Super League campaign when they completed a double over the Vikings winning 32-28 at the KC and 40-20 at the Stobart Stadium (or Halton Stadium as it was then).

The clubs have met nine times in Super League with Hull winning seven, including a 70-4 win at the KC in 2004.

Their two losses against the Vikings both came on trips to the Halton Stadium. They lost 46-10 in 2003 and 32-18 the following year.

Hull v Widnes memories
The most memorable games between the two clubs from a Hull prospective are the 1982 Challenge Cup Final replay at Elland Road and the 1991 Premiership Final at Old Trafford.

Hull won both encounters, winning the Cup under the captaincy of David Topliss 18-9 and then the Premiership 14-4 under coach Noel "Crusher" Cleal.

In the Challenge Cup replay Topliss was voted Man of the Match in the replay but it was Widnes' Eddie Cunningham who took the Lance Todd award at Wembley.

Both former stars will be at Sunday's fifth round game and are expected to lead their respective teams out.

Quarter final draw
The draw for the Quarter Finals of the Carnegie Challenge Cup will take place on Monday 12th May 2008.

The draw will be broadcast live as part of the Sportsday programme which starts at 6.45pm on the BBC News Channel.

Rugby League legend Martin Offiah (MBE) will be a guest in the studio and will help make the draw along with representatives of the tournament partner Leeds Metropolitan University.

The BBC News Channel is available on digital TV (Channel 80 on Freeview, Sky 503, Tiscali 501 and Virgin Media 601). It is also freely available via the BBC News website.

The Carnegie Challenge Cup Quarter Finals will be played on the weekend of May 31st and June 1st 2008.

News source: www.hullfc.com

Advanced Search