Challenge Cup final: Hull KR snatch dramatic victory over Warrington

Hull KR claimed a first major rugby league honour in 40 years as they beat Warrington Wolves 8-6 in the Betfred Challenge Cup final at Wembley; a late try from Tom Davies, awarded following a long look by the video referee, and the conversion from Mikey Lewis secured a first Wembley triumph since 1980 and a first major trophy since their 1985 league title triumph; Warrington's Marc Sneyd became only the second player to win the Lance Todd Trophy three times

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Marc Bazeley
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Picture by Ed Sykes/SWpix.com - 07/06/2025 - Rugby League - Betfred Challenge Cup Final - Warrington Wolves v Hull KR - Wembley Stadium, London, England - Hull Kingston Rovers' James Batchelor left the trophy
Picture by Ed Sykes/SWpix.com - 07/06/2025 - Rugby League - Betfred Challenge Cup Final - Warrington Wolves v Hull KR - Wembley Stadium, London, England - Hull Kingston Rovers' James Batchelor left the trophy

TOM Davies’ try and Mikey Lewis’ conversion in the dying minutes snatched a dramatic 8-6 victory for Hull KR over Warrington Wolves in the men’s Betfred Challenge Cup final to end 40 years of hurt.

Lewis kicked the Robins ahead, but the Wolves held a 6-2 lead at the break after Josh Thewlis capitalised on a fortuitous bounce to finish in the corner for a converted try.

The Betfred Super League leaders, runners-up at Wembley two years ago, found themselves under pressure for much of the second half, thanks in no small part to the in-play kicking of Lance Todd Trophy winner Marc Sneyd.

But winger Davies diving on the ball from a grubber kick, after an agnosing wait for the video referee, and the subsequent conversion from reigning Mn of Steel Lewis ended a four-decade wait for a major rugby league honour in East Hull.

“At half time, we said to ourselves if we need to win it in the 79th minute, we’ll win it in the 79th minute – and we’ve done that,” Hull KR full-back Jack Broadbent, who was under those high kicks all afternoon, said.

“It makes it special – probably that bit more special because the clock is ticking down, there’s repeat sets, they kicked a 20-40, and you’re thinking ‘this is not our night’.

“But we step up…and we’ve pulled it out of the bag.”

Warrington started brightly, with Sneyd’s kicking in particular keeping the Robins on their toes, and were denied by the video referee ninth minutes in after Adam Holroyd pounced on a loose ball in-goal due to Rodrick Tai being deemed to have ripped it free in a tackle.

Nevertheless, Hull KR edged in front with a penalty goal from reigning Man of Steel Lewis in the 25th minute, only to find themselves trailing at the break as Sneyd helped drag the Wolves back into the game in the closing minutes of the first half.

The scrum-half’s steepling kick was fumbled in the wet weather by Joe Burgess to give Warrington perfect field position to attack, and then the former England international put in a grubber kick which hit a Hull KR foot and bounced perfectly for Thewlis to finish out wide.

The second-half proved just as close-fought as the first, with the Super League leaders in particular holding firm in defence on their own line despite being forced into four drop-outs from Sneyd and George Williams kicks.

Even when they did get sight of Warrington’s line, they were on the back foot again as Sneyd came up with a brilliant 20-40 kick seven minutes from time to relieve the pressure.

Yet the game was flipped on its head with three minutes to go as Hull KR were awarded a penalty 10 metres out for a high tackle, they seized the chance.

Davies dived on the ball from a kick into the in-goal, with the video referee eventually awarding it despite several looks at whether Warrington winger Lindop had grounded the ball first, followed by Lewis nailing the conversion to edge his side ahead.

Warrington tried a short kick from the restart, but to no avail and when the hooter sounded, Willie Peters’ side were celebrating a first major prize since the 1985 league title, and a first Wembley triumph since beating rivals Hull FC in 1980.

Sneyd becoming on the second player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for player of the match three times proved scant consolation for the Wolves, while the nature of Hull KR’s late try proved somewhat contentious for the runners-up too.

“A couple of staff have Googled the rules and it says ‘torso’, and that’s what I said to the field to the ref and he pushed me aside,” Warrington captain George Williams said.

“If that is the rule, that’s a shocking way to lose.

“For 77 minutes we were leading, and to concede like that, it was heartbreaking.

“You’ve got to give some credit to Hull KR, they found a way to win, but for us it’s disappointing you’re leading for the majority of the game and they score on the back end.”

WARRINGTON WOLVES 6 (Thewlis try, Sneyd goal) lost to HULL KR 8 (Davies try, Lewis 2 goals).

WARRINGTON WOLVES: Matt Dufty, Josh Thewlis, Toby King, Rodrick Tai, Arron Lindop, George Williams, Marc Sneyd, Luke Yates, Sam Powell, Paul Vaughan, Adam Holroyd, Lachlan Fitzgibbin, Ben Currie. Interchange: James Harrison, Joe Philbin, Jordy Crowther, Stefan Ratchford.

HULL KR: Jack Broadbent, Tom Davies, Peta Hiku, James Batchelor, Joe Burgess, Mikey Lewis, Tyrone May, Sauaso Sue, Michael McIlorum, Jared Warea-Hargreaves, Dean Hadley, Jai Whitbred, Elliot Minchella. Interchange: Jez Litten, Sam Luckley, Kelepi Tanginoa, Jack Brown.

Referee: Liam Moore.