Wigan Warriors: Sean O'Loughlin shares his Challenge Cup memories and his hopes for this season

The club’s assistant coach, who lifted the trophy on two occasions as captain, is hoping for a successful run to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

O’Loughlin wants the club to end their drought in the competition, having not won it since 2013.

He said: “Anyone from my generation probably watched a lot of Challenge Cup on TV. It was always prominent on BBC, and that was a big part of it growing up.

“My generation saw Wigan win it a lot of times so we knew the history of it, but it’s still massively valued and it’s an opportunity to win a trophy, so it’s always pretty special to be involved in it.

“It’s been quite a long time (since Wigan last won it) but the memories are still quite vivid with us, and the occasion itself.

“We won it when I came into the first team in 2002, and it was all the way until 2011 until we did it again, so that felt like a long time.

“Our lads are hungry to win anything. Everyone wants to win trophies and we’re no different, so going into this, we have to understand the importance of the game.

“You don’t want to look too far ahead, but you’ve got to know that it’s knock out football and you’ve got to be at your best to win it and not waste any chances.”

O’Loughlin says he has plenty of good memories of participating in the Challenge Cup as a player, from being a younger member of the squad to becoming the club’s leader wearing the armband.

“My first taste of it was being the 18th man,” he added.

“It was still an unbelievable feeling to see it going on and to witness it. That made me personally want to win it and get my hands on the trophy. Again, it was a lot longer than we thought it was going to be but it was still pretty special to get the chance to do it.

“Once you get a taste it spurs you on even more to do it again and again. The memories of the trips to London and driving back with the trophy on the coach.

“The players love being in any finals but big stadiums are class. To have those opportunities is unbelievable. There’s that buzz going down to London for it, and this is almost like a new era for it.”

O’Loughlin admits he is fan of the current layout of the Challenge Cup, with this year’s final taking place on May 28.

“I prefer it as it is now where it is really early in the season, I think it’s a big bonus for it,” he said.

“It’s in the sunshine, and when you think back to games growing up, they tended to be on hot summer’s days.

I know one of the times we won it, it was probably a month or so before the playoffs.

“It gives it a bit more value being earlier in the year because you are Challenge Cup holders for half the season before the Grand Final, which takes a little bit of the limelight away from it.”