Adrian Lam hints at Sean O'Loughlin renewal after Wigan beat Hull FC in Challenge Cup

Wigan coach Adrian Lam paid tribute to skipper Sean O'Loughlin after he led his team to a 36-4 Coral Challenge Cup quarter-final win over Hull and hinted that the veteran loose forward may play on next year.

O'Loughlin turns 38 in November when he plans to hang up his boots and join the club's backroom staff, but he was impressive on his return at the AJ Bell Stadium following a five-month lay-off.

"He was outstanding," Lam said. "He gives us a complete different attacking style and just having him there in the dressing room can only boost the players.

"He's not playing on at the moment but you never know."

Hooker Sam Powell celebrated his 200th appearance for his hometown team by scoring the first of the Warriors' seven tries, and dashing Australian full-back Bevan French added two more before half-time when they led 26-0.

Second rower Liam Farrell also touched down twice and winger Joe Burgess scored a 90-metre solo effort as Wigan toyed with their tired opponents to set up a semi-final showdown with Leeds on October 3.

In the other semi-final, which will be played as a double-header at a venue to be decided, holders Warrington will play Salford.

"It's very exciting," Lam said. "Leeds are playing great rugby too so we'll look forward to that challenge.

"In the last two weeks the players have been outstanding. I told them how important it was to take ownership of these big games and they certainly stood up today."

Hull clearly felt the effects of playing their third game in 10 days and interim head coach Andy Last has little time to pick his players up for their next game against Salford next Thursday.

"We're just throwing players out there," Last said. "We had one session leading into a quarter-final of the Challenge Cup against Wigan.

"We're in a very tough spot and we're not getting much time to fix things up. It's tough for everybody and we have just got to get on with it.

"It was a tough loss today. We spoke about starting the game well, completing our sets and kicking well and unfortunately we just didn't do that.

"There were just too many unforced individual errors coming out of yardage and it punished us. It really gasses you. We didn't put any sort of pressure on them.

"We were clunky in attack but I thought we were getting into the game after 30 minutes. We were better in the second half but the first half wasn't where it needed to be.

"I feel this group of players lack belief when we go up against a top-four team. We looked to be in a little bit of awe of Wigan and that's something that was also evident against Warrington.

"We needed to impose ourselves on the game and we didn't do that until 30 minutes had gone."