Warrington are aiming for treble, says Tony Smith ahead of Challenge Cup final
Friday 26 August 2016 09:04, UK
Warrington coach Tony Smith has targeted treble success, starting with the Challenge Cup which he reckons is the least difficult of the three trophies to win.
Saturday's Wembley final brings together the two form teams of Super League, with Hull currently holding a one-point advantage over the Wolves with four rounds to go before the semi-finals and both seeking to emulate the feat of Leeds, who retained the cup and won the League Leaders' Shield and Grand Final in 2015.
"It's a really tough thing to do," said former Rhinos boss Smith. "What Leeds did last year was remarkable.
"But we're going for all of it. We're doing our best in each of the competitions, we haven't prioritised one over the other.
"If we weren't in a realistic position to win the league leaders, we may change our approach and change our team."
Smith, who took Leeds to two Grand Final triumphs in his four years at Headingley, has a 100 per cent record at Wembley with the Wolves, having guided them to three wins in his first four seasons at the helm from 2009-12, and has no doubt which is the tougher assignment.
"I certainly believe the Grand Final is harder to win than the Challenge Cup," he added. "Our run this year has been a lot easier than Hull have had.
"Our experience of 2009 when we came 10th in the regular season is a great example of what can happen in the Cup. That's part of the romance of the Cup, there can still be underdogs and upsets, the Sheffields beating the Wigans.
"To win the Grand Final, you are up against the tougher teams all the way through. It's really a game of attrition."
Smith was on the end of a Challenge Cup giant-killing act in 2005 when Hull snatched a 25-24 win over his Leeds team but that final was at the Millennium Stadium and defeats in 2008 and 2013 have left the Black and Whites still looking to end their Wembley hoodoo.
"It's huge," said Hull coach Lee Radford. "If you speak to any supporter, the importance of winning at Wembley is huge for them, solely because our nearest rivals across the river constantly remind us that we've never won there.
"To be able to finally put that to bed would be special, that's for sure."
