Wane: Don't take final away from Wembley

Shaun Wane has urged league chiefs not to move the Challenge Cup Final away from Wembley.
Joe Burgess scored a dramatic equaliser the last time Wigan and Warrington metJoe Burgess scored a dramatic equaliser the last time Wigan and Warrington met
Joe Burgess scored a dramatic equaliser the last time Wigan and Warrington met

Wigan face Warrington tomorrow knowing victory will propel them to within 80 minutes of a return to the iconic London venue.

Club bosses met this week to discuss the format of the Super League competition - which could have ramifications for the knock-out Cup competition and when the decider is played.

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Already, executive director Roger Draper has said he wouldn’t rule out moving the final away from Wembley.

Wane said: “I love this competition. It means everything to us.

“I’ve shown the players clips of past Wembley games and they understand the importance of it.

“I love going to Wembley, I’m proud to be English and I love our capital - Wembley is the only place for it, for me.

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“I had an unbelievable experience as a player, and as a coach, and when we went down there last (in 2013) it was a weekend I’ll never forget.”

Wigan and Warrington battled out a thrilling 24-24 draw at the Magic Weekend last month - a game which many tipped to be a turning point for both clubs after unconvincing runs.

But since then, neither have won their four Super League matches, and Wane said: “They’re not playing well, I’m not happy with our form and Tony (Smith) won’t be happy with their form.

“We’re both desperate, and it should make it a fantastic game.

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“Both clubs are in a different situation - we’re playing well in spells, but we’re not consistent enough. It’s mainly a concentration thing.”

From the Magic Weekend to their last game, a 50-34 loss to Leigh, Wane had five matches in 20 days, giving him little time on the training ground to make repairs.

He added: “We had a training session yesterday, and I said to John (Winder, assistant), ‘That’s the first proper session since before Cronulla’ in February.

“We’ve trained, but either because of the numbers out or the closeness of the games, we’ve not had what I call a proper session, when the players could get stuck in.

“So we’ve had a good week. There’ll be no excuses from us.”