What next for Hull FC? How a Challenge Cup win affects Grand Final hopes

What a performance from Hull FC. Their first trophy in 11 years, sealed with a nail-biting 12-10 win over Warrington at Wembley. But Lee Radford's side have their eyes on a bigger prize. They top the Super League table with four games left. So can they repeat the Rhinos' treble from 2015?

It all depends how they recover from that thrilling cup win. It's St Helens away at Langtree Park live on Sky Sports on Friday - and expect plenty of changes.

Live Super League Super 8s

Tired bodies, tired minds and with plenty of celebrations behind them, Lee Radford needs to shuffle his pack. So traditionally - what does a Challenge Cup final win do for a team's Grand Final hopes?

We look back at the previous five seasons…

2015- Leeds Rhinos

We all know how it finished for Leeds in 2015, but their season nearly derailed after their 50-0 cup final demolition of Hull KR.

St Helens came to Headingley the week after the final. Brian McDermott made changes, missing Zak Hardaker, Kallum Watkins and Rob Burrow, and his side went down 32-18.

Defeats to Catalans (A) and Castleford (H) followed, leaving the Rhinos needing victory at Huddersfield in the final game of the Super 8s to keep the treble alive.

What happened next? Well - Ryan Hall's try, a play-off win over St Helens and a Grand Final success against Wigan that saw Leeds send off their retiring heroes in emphatic fashion.

2014 - Leeds Rhinos

Leeds sealed their first Challenge Cup win in 15 years by beating West Yorkshire rivals Castleford 23-10. But things didn't quite go to plan after that.

St Helens were the visitors to Headingley a week later, as in 2015, and they claimed a narrow 13-12 win that saw Joel Moon sent off for the Rhinos.

McDermott named the same 17 that lifted the cup for the Saints game, but his side burnt out in the season climax, losing away at Wigan and then away at Hull FC in their final two league games.

So it came down to a qualifying play-off against Catalans. And in the final minute, Sam Williams capitalised on a late Tom Briscoe error to end the Rhinos' season earlier than they'd have hoped.

2013 - Wigan Warriors

At a rain-soaked Wembley in 2013, Wigan secured a scrappy 16-0 win over Hull FC to lift the Challenge Cup. They faced the same opponents in their very next game and Shaun Wane rang the changes, including just six of his Wembley heroes in the 17-man squad.

With an average age of 21, Wane's side went down 34-33 to Hull FC, two Daniel Holdsworth drop-goals earning revenge for the Black-and-Whites' loss a week earlier and a defeat to Leeds in the last regular game condemned Wigan to facing League Leaders' Shield winners Huddersfield in the play-offs.

But they won that, before seeing off Leeds in the qualifying semi-final. And Wigan made it a league-cup double at Old Trafford with a stunning 30-16 triumph over Warrington.

2012 - Warrington Wolves

Warrington's last trophy came back in 2012, thrashing Leeds at Wembley in a 35-18 win. It was their third cup success in four years, but Tony Smith's side wanted more.

There was no early sign of cup hangovers, thrashing Huddersfield 54-6 after the final before following that up with another 50-point hammering, this time Widnes their victims.

The Wolves stumbled in the qualifying play-off, losing at home to St Helens, but they regrouped and battled through to Old Trafford with wins over Hull FC, and then knocking out Saints at Langtree Park.

But they came across an inspired Rhinos side at Old Trafford who prevailed 26-18 to ruin any hopes of a league-cup double for Warrington.

2011 - Wigan Warriors

The Warriors lifted the cup in 2011 with a hard-fought win over Leeds. Michael Maguire's side were defending Super League champions too, but retaining their crown proved a step too far after the cup final.

They followed up Wembley success with a heavy defeat at Warrington and that defeat cost them top spot in the Super League table, despite a big win over the Crusaders in the final regular fixture.

That second-place finish cost Wigan big time. They lost to bitter rivals St Helens 26-18 in the qualifying play-off and despite battering Catalans 44-0 in a preliminary semi-final, the qualifying semi-final against St Helens proved a step too far.

The Saints came from behind twice to book their place in the Grand Final, ending Maguire's Wigan career with a disappointing defeat.