Jack Farrimond determined to hold on to Wigan Warriors spot after Challenge Cup success

Jack Farrimond will relish the task of keeping hold of his half-back berth after scoring two first-half tries to pave the way for Wigan's emphatic 40-10 win over defending champions Hull KR in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley.

The 20-year-old scooped the prestigious Lance Todd Trophy for his stunning display that eclipsed the shock comeback of his team-mate Bevan French, who returned from injury on the hour mark to play a cameo role and add a try of his own.

French's return, coming six weeks earlier than scheduled after hamstring surgery in March, has inevitably raised questions about Farrimond's ability to hold on to his first-team shirt moving forward, but he is clearly up for the fight.

"It's great having someone as good as Bevan playing in the same position as you, because his knowledge in the game is massive," said Farrimond. "Straightaway he's come in and given that next step and pushed me out of my comfort zone.

"In the last seven or eight weeks when obviously he hasn't been playing, he's taken it a bit personally to get me as ready as I could for a game like this. It's absolutely massive to play alongside the likes of Bevan and Harry Smith, and have such a calm head next to you in the heat of the moment."

Farrimond's early brace set the tone for a dominant display from Wigan, but Rovers, who looked flat after losing Dean Hadley to a head injury in the third minute, clawed themselves back into contention when Peta Hiku burst on to a Tyrone May kick on the stroke of half-time to reduce the arrears to 10-4.

Wigan ran riot after the break, with Adam Keighran equalling the record individual final haul with two tries and six kicks, and two more local lads, Junior Nsemba and Luke Thompson, also crossing the whitewash.

No fewer than 10 of Wigan's 17 matchday squad came through the junior ranks to some extent, the latest being winger Noah Hodkinson, who played in the final having featured in just four Super League games, and it is a statistic that is particularly pleasing to Warriors boss Matt Peet.

"We've got some good players coming through the academy, and we challenge them and support them and they pay you back," said Peet, whose day was only slightly blighted by the last-minute sending-off of Sam Walters for a tip-tackle on Bill Leyland – who broke Wigan hearts on Good Friday during a loan spell at St Helens.

"We're fortunate in that we've got an outstanding academy and an outstanding area to develop young players. Jack coaches his own junior team and he'll be getting players coming through from there who will probably inspire the next generation, and you get that snowball effort.

"It suits me as a coach and it's just the philosophy that has served us well as a club for a long time. You always want to win trophies like that, but if you keep backing your academy and backing your system, it's even better."