Adrian Lam gives players a Challenge Cup history lesson

The Warriors hold the record for most Challenge Cup wins with 19 and have a glorious history of Wembley, winning the first final there in 1929 and lifting the trophy for eight consecutive years up to the start of Super League in 1996.

But Wigan have won the Cup only three times in the last 25 years and Lam, who was in the team that beat St Helens at Murrayfield in 2002, says it is about time they added to their legacy, initially by booking their place at Wembley on October 17 with victory over Leeds in Saturday's semi-final.

"It would be really special," Lam said. "It was one of the competitions I looked up to as a young boy in Australia.

"I always wanted to be a part of it as a player and it was the main reason I signed with Wigan.

"It's etched in the club's history and to only have won it three times in the Super League era is an incredible stat. We're aware of that and we've talked about it.

"It's really important for me in my philosophy that you understand where your roots come from and learn about your predecessors who have worn the jersey and brought success.

"That's what creates culture, history and legacy in a club. It's why people see Wigan as one of the greatest clubs of all time.

"There's only Sean O'Loughlin, Tommy Leuluai, Zak Hardaker and Liam Farrell who have won it and we have a lot of young players in the squad, so we've spent a lot of time showing them who we are and what we've achieved in the Challenge Cup.

"If you ask the fans, most of them would say this is probably more important than the Grand Final because it's been here for a hundred years."

Zak Hardaker, who twice won the Cup at Wembley with Leeds, says the Wigan players are acutely aware of the club's Challenge Cup pedigree.

"It's quite a big issue for Wigan," he said. "When we got knocked out last year it kind of shocked me.

"It's something Wigan really hold in high regard. We do talk about the club's rich heritage and, after the disappointment of last year, we want to win something."

Leeds are second in the list of most Cup wins with 13 and prop Adam Cuthbertson, who played alongside Hardaker when the Rhinos beat Hull KR in the 2015 final, insists they have just as much to play for.

"There's a lot of players in the team who haven't played in a final or a semi," said Cuthbertson, who is confident the club's youngsters will not freeze on the big occasion.

"I think when it comes down to playing semi-final football, you're quick to realise that the build-up is still the same as training," he said.

"We still train quite intensely so the build-up is probably what gets you into semi-final mode."

Cuthbertson, who will end his six-year stint with the Rhinos at the end of the year and join Championship club York, also believes lifting the trophy amid the major disruption in 2020 would be extra special.

"People have been furloughed and lost jobs and businesses have gone under throughout this year, so I think if there was ever a time to have something to bring back and cheer and talk about it's this year, so it's probably more important than ever really," he added.