Gelling aims to complete collection

The centre was the 18th man when Wigan last appeared in the Challenge Cup Final in 2013 - against today’s opponents Hull FC.

Since then, he has gone on to establish himself in Wigan’s right centre spot and was in the side which won last October’s Grand Final and the World Club Challenge earlier this year.

Now he is hoping to land the one which has so far eluded him.

Recalling missing out four years ago, he said: “I knew before that I wasn’t going to be in the team, but you still have to stick to the process of training and warming up as if you are playing, just in case.

“It is certainly a bittersweet thing to win but not to play, you’ve just got to have a shower and sit with the rest of the fans.

“This is the only thing I haven’t won, so it’ll be a big bonus to do it this time.

“I’ve got the World Club Challenge, League Leaders Shield and the Super League. There’s one missing from the whole collection, so I want to get this on the mantelpiece!”

Wigan were knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Hull FC at the semi-final stage last season, but later in the season they got their revenge.

“It’s going to be a close game,” he said. “Two teams both capable of anything.

“Their position in the table doesn’t really show the strength of their squad.

“It’ll be a tough one because they won against us in last year’s Cup semi-final - then we beat them in the semi to get to Old Trafford.”

Gelling, who has completed a video production diploma in the summer, has established a cult following for his antics on and off the pitch.

The player once sin-binned for charging down a penalty has also impressed fans with his videos, raps and sound-bites, including his now-famous quip he is a ‘man of the people’.

He added: “As long as we’re winning, things are okay. It’s when we start losing, the stupid things aren’t funny. Just stupid. Got to keep winning, that’s the main thing.”