10/08/2014

:00:52. > :00:59.Welcome to Leigh Sports Village which is a sell-out for this second

:01:00. > :01:03.Challenge Cup semifinal between Castleford and Widnes. The fans are

:01:04. > :01:07.filing in and the sun is almost shining despite heavy rain that we

:01:08. > :01:13.have had earlier. The teams have arrived as well. Castleford had a

:01:14. > :01:18.tricky trip over the M 62, there was an asking crash which has delayed

:01:19. > :01:24.them. They are here. -- a nasty crash. They are headed into the

:01:25. > :01:28.sanctuary of the dressing rooms and the peace and quiet. Daryl Powell

:01:29. > :01:34.the code is shaking hands with well-wishers, getting their best

:01:35. > :01:37.wishes. -- coach. Both of these sides are having their best season

:01:38. > :02:29.for many years, bringing back memories of the glory days.

:02:30. > :02:40.So, who will join the Leeds Rhinos, they booked their place with victory

:02:41. > :02:45.over Warrington yesterday. Widnes against Castleford, kick off in

:02:46. > :02:49.about 25 minutes time. Remember coming you can contact us throughout

:02:50. > :02:57.the afternoon with any questions, let us no on social media. With us

:02:58. > :03:03.we have a man who has already booked his place at Wembley, Leeds Rhinos'

:03:04. > :03:07.Jamie Peacock. Congratulations. Earl Crabtree from the Huddersfield

:03:08. > :03:11.Giants and Brian Noble. Jamie, battered and bruised, but it is

:03:12. > :03:18.worth it when you are going to Wembley? Definitely. I am elated. As

:03:19. > :03:26.we say in Yorkshire, I am chuffed to bits. I cannot wait to go to

:03:27. > :03:30.Wembley. We executed the game plan, and we will see a great try from

:03:31. > :03:38.Ryan Hall, this was world class, he is the 's best winger. -- he is the

:03:39. > :03:44.world 's best. This was a great pass from O'Brien to Ryan Hall, on the

:03:45. > :03:51.back of executing a game plan given to us by Brian Magee Dermott and we

:03:52. > :03:55.played exceptionally well. Joel Monaghan was an excellent aerial

:03:56. > :04:00.threat. We kept Warrington at arms length in boxing terms, we were

:04:01. > :04:07.jabbing them out the way. We kept ourselves out in front. They kept

:04:08. > :04:10.coming back at you. They are a quality side, beaten in the

:04:11. > :04:14.semifinal last year by Hull and they wanted to get back to Wembley but so

:04:15. > :04:19.did we and we had the desire as well. Now we will see a breakaway

:04:20. > :04:24.try from Tom Briscoe and when this went over, even though it was

:04:25. > :04:31.panicked at the end, going back to Wembley, go on, Tom, get under the

:04:32. > :04:37.posts. A wonderful bit of skill from him come in full flow, just the

:04:38. > :04:47.handoff. He is an exceptionally fast player. Wesley scored a fluky drive.

:04:48. > :04:50.We held them in the end. You saw at the final whistle how much it means

:04:51. > :04:59.to have another go at the Challenge Cup. We wanted to get back and win.

:05:00. > :05:03.Credit to the Warrington players and coaches. At the end of the game,

:05:04. > :05:10.they always does the best of luck and that takes a lot. -- they all

:05:11. > :05:18.wish to us. The atmosphere is building here. You can already feel

:05:19. > :05:23.it. It is bouncing. I am trying to concentrate on JP. It is a brilliant

:05:24. > :05:27.atmosphere and everyone is looking forward to this afternoon. We

:05:28. > :05:30.thought it would be raining but fingers crossed, it is drive the

:05:31. > :05:35.moment and that will be good for both sides. We thought the rain

:05:36. > :05:39.would be a leveller, but the dry spell has come from nowhere, a bit

:05:40. > :05:48.like these teams coming from nowhere to his apprise everybody. -- from

:05:49. > :05:54.nowhere to surprise everybody. They are attacking and they will try to

:05:55. > :05:59.score from every play. Which side will win today? I will go with the

:06:00. > :06:06.best disciplined. The Super League table does not lie. 32 points, and

:06:07. > :06:12.they thoroughly deserved to be in fourth. They qualified for the Super

:06:13. > :06:18.League play-offs this year. That is a remarkable achievement from both

:06:19. > :06:24.clubs. The pundits did not give them as much of a chance as bad. I can

:06:25. > :06:29.barely hear myself speak as the Widnes Vikings come out. It is going

:06:30. > :06:33.to be fantastic. They are enjoying the occasion. Going back to

:06:34. > :06:37.Castleford, if people did not think they were the real deal, the victory

:06:38. > :06:41.over Wigan to get them to the semifinal confirmed that they are.

:06:42. > :06:45.Yes, they showed a lot of guile that day. And we spoke about their

:06:46. > :06:51.kicking game not being the greatest, but Wigan came up with a lot, to be

:06:52. > :06:55.fair. Castleford won the game with their defence, they defended their

:06:56. > :07:00.try line for 20 minutes of Wigan pressure. They went on to win and it

:07:01. > :07:03.was huge that the club. They must be one of the favourites for both

:07:04. > :07:08.pieces of silverware this year. They played well in the rain, don't

:07:09. > :07:13.forget. That was wet. I still think we will get some rain today, they

:07:14. > :07:17.will prepare for a wet weather game and Widnes will rely on their

:07:18. > :07:23.kicking game in the wet weather. It may be massively important for both

:07:24. > :07:29.teams. When you have to go back to 1992 that the last time as Alford

:07:30. > :07:35.were at Wembley, they were beaten a year later, and it was the turn of

:07:36. > :07:41.Widnes to try to topple Wigan. You were in the side, what are your

:07:42. > :07:45.memories? Wigan were the side that beat Cas the year before.

:07:46. > :07:55.Disappointing, very disappointing to get to Wembley and then losing in

:07:56. > :07:59.the final. I had already lost in the semifinal. It is not a great place

:08:00. > :08:04.to lose, but today's game is all about getting there and thinking

:08:05. > :08:11.about the result. After today. It is a great place to go. When I started

:08:12. > :08:15.playing rugby league I wanted to play at Wembley in the Challenge Cup

:08:16. > :08:20.final. Seeing them coming back over the past few years and watching them

:08:21. > :08:27.grow and really develop? Yes, it was sad to see their decline. But

:08:28. > :08:31.sometimes, you have to go down a couple of levels to find out how

:08:32. > :08:35.good you are, they went into administration. Off the field and on

:08:36. > :08:39.the field they have got themselves back in a position to be compared to

:08:40. > :08:45.have which is fantastic. It is great to see Castleford back at a great

:08:46. > :08:51.club, Dennis Betts and Powell, I have played with them and against

:08:52. > :08:55.them at club level and for me, it is a trip down memory lane. And

:08:56. > :08:59.obviously, you know, my heart is with Widnes and I would like to see

:09:00. > :09:05.them win. It is great to see these two clubs, and it means a lot to

:09:06. > :09:10.both sets of fans, and it would be nice to see a new name going to

:09:11. > :09:18.Wembley for a change. It will. Jonathan is of course part of the

:09:19. > :09:22.commentary team. Arguably the coach Daryl Powell has been the star, he

:09:23. > :09:26.has done a fantastic job since taking over midway through last

:09:27. > :09:34.season. Another Darryl is stealing the headlines on the pitch, Daryl

:09:35. > :09:42.Clark. Daryl Powell, Castleford Tigers head coach. Daryl Clark,

:09:43. > :09:46.hooker, Castleford Tigers. He has the bit and sure to be the best

:09:47. > :09:53.hooker in the world. He has been awesome since he came in. I think

:09:54. > :09:59.everybody recognises him as one of the best players in the competition,

:10:00. > :10:04.not just for the Tigers. I think he has improved again this year. His

:10:05. > :10:07.athletic ability is outstanding. His speed off the mark has been

:10:08. > :10:23.incredible and obviously he has a knife and opening. He has been good

:10:24. > :10:29.for me individually. -- and an eye. What a fabulous try for Daryl Clark.

:10:30. > :10:35.It has been down and out for us but turning it around has been special.

:10:36. > :10:39.I thought we could be in the top four, and the semifinals with the

:10:40. > :10:43.potential to play in the final, but as you see your players grow and

:10:44. > :10:51.develop, and the bond that they build with each other as a unit, it

:10:52. > :10:59.has been incredible. That's try confirms Castleford a place in the

:11:00. > :11:03.semifinals! For the fans it is huge. The Challenge Cup is a massive

:11:04. > :11:07.part of Castleford Tigers and its history and we are always connecting

:11:08. > :11:11.the history to the current team, all the way through the year we have

:11:12. > :11:17.been doing that. It is many years since they have been to Wembley, and

:11:18. > :11:22.I have been supporting them from a young age. Previous form goes out

:11:23. > :11:26.the window and it is about whoever turns up on the day. It is about

:11:27. > :11:31.putting down a new layer of history and marking ourselves as a team

:11:32. > :11:36.which can be revered along with the other outstanding teams which have

:11:37. > :11:42.done special things. A huge roar from Castleford 's contingent,

:11:43. > :11:48.20,000 have travelled down from the town. Those people they left back in

:11:49. > :11:58.Castleford will be dancing in the streets. Hopefully this year will be

:11:59. > :12:03.my time to do something special. What is it that makes this young man

:12:04. > :12:07.so special. He has a scary amount of speed, picking it up at the me half

:12:08. > :12:11.and he is one of those players who you have to do your homework on

:12:12. > :12:14.stopping him, the best way is to slow down the ruck as much as

:12:15. > :12:21.possible so that he does not get away from you. 22 clean breaks tells

:12:22. > :12:26.you the story, the last time they played, he scored a hat-trick. If

:12:27. > :12:30.Widnes are going to win they will have to deal with his blistering

:12:31. > :12:35.pace. Daryl Powell tells me that he is as fast as anyone, that is what

:12:36. > :12:39.makes him such a threat in the middle. We have heard about him,

:12:40. > :12:44.take us through the rest of the team. They have a talented line-up

:12:45. > :12:53.starting with the back three. Luke Dorn has scored 14 tries this

:12:54. > :13:05.season. James Clare has two replace the suspended Carney. -- he has to.

:13:06. > :13:11.Here is the job for the halves. Most trite assists and most points in the

:13:12. > :13:17.game, Widnes have the best engine. Their kicking game will be crucial

:13:18. > :13:21.for the Tigers. Lynch is the linchpin. We have talked about the

:13:22. > :13:25.amount of breaks he makes, incredible strength. Craig Huby is

:13:26. > :13:30.in the best form of his career. The back three had a huge job replacing

:13:31. > :13:38.Hauraki. He is also suspended. Frankie Mariano has that task.

:13:39. > :13:45.Coming from the bench, Scott Wheeldon in the front row, playing

:13:46. > :13:49.at London Broncos last year. Vastly experienced, Gareth Carvell has been

:13:50. > :13:56.to Wembley with Warrington, he is well travelled. Assisted by Lee

:13:57. > :13:59.Jewitt. So that is the line-up, what is the game plan? It has been

:14:00. > :14:04.raining in the North of England all morning but the sun has poked its

:14:05. > :14:11.head out and it has dried up the field. One of the keys were

:14:12. > :14:16.Castleford this year has been the forward pack. Taking the ball up,

:14:17. > :14:20.Carvell, the International, and Lee Jewitt has come into his own. Just

:14:21. > :14:24.making a tackle is Batman Craig Huby. He has a big game and he has

:14:25. > :14:31.been looking after himself at the moment. Coming into his own. -- that

:14:32. > :14:38.man. He will cause Widnes a lot of trouble this afternoon. If the

:14:39. > :14:44.forwards do their job right it will be Mark, that guy, coming up with

:14:45. > :14:49.the tries. He is in the form of his career. He will move to Hull FC next

:14:50. > :14:53.year but when they get it right it goes through players like Marc

:14:54. > :15:01.Sneyd, keep your eye on him, he is definitely one to watch. Bell

:15:02. > :15:14.How much are they going to miss those players? They will massively.

:15:15. > :15:23.It is one of those, those are things you cannot do these days. He gets

:15:24. > :15:26.the ruck speed really quickly. He has also come into his own.

:15:27. > :15:32.Off-loading well. He has been fantastic this year. As a coach, you

:15:33. > :15:38.would be spitting tacks saying that but they need to get on with it. For

:15:39. > :15:43.me, they should not be doing stuff like that. There was no malice, but

:15:44. > :15:47.you do not do stuff like that. They will miss him today, that's for sure

:15:48. > :15:56.but Daryl Powell as the vast that it is about the squad, the 25 man

:15:57. > :15:59.squad, and it will be tested today. Millington will be a bad loss, he

:16:00. > :16:03.has a big presence and they will miss him and Hauraki on the fringes

:16:04. > :16:06.because Castleford have a passing game out there, most of their

:16:07. > :16:17.players pass well and make good decisions. I will reinforce what JP

:16:18. > :16:26.says, but' we have heard from Daryl Powell, let's hear from the Widnes

:16:27. > :16:32.boss Dennis Betts. -- JP says... You said you would have a pretty good

:16:33. > :16:39.nights sleep, how did you sleep? Pretty good. I had a nice night. You

:16:40. > :16:43.know better than anyone what it is like to get to Wembley as a player,

:16:44. > :16:51.what are these moments like in the semifinal? It is important not to be

:16:52. > :16:59.afraid of the atmosphere, do not be afraid of the experience. Just

:17:00. > :17:02.embrace it. Enjoy it. Go out and understand what your job is and that

:17:03. > :17:07.is what we have been doing so far this year. It is about embracing the

:17:08. > :17:14.experience and going on and having composure and moving forward. Do you

:17:15. > :17:18.talk about their history and what an opportunity it is or is that

:17:19. > :17:22.something through another time? Those things are done by people

:17:23. > :17:27.around you in the week. When you are around the group it is about our own

:17:28. > :17:30.history and our own fans and ourselves, this is about today and

:17:31. > :17:33.what it means to each individual player, and then we can open up to

:17:34. > :17:39.everybody else about how important it is to them, but the players are

:17:40. > :17:41.out there enjoying it and they will have two really embraced the

:17:42. > :17:48.experience. Thank you for joining us. Dennis was saying that he was

:17:49. > :17:53.fortunate that he had a full strength squad. Take us through the

:17:54. > :18:04.line-up. 14 tries for Rhys Hanbury this season. 13 from 22. The centre

:18:05. > :18:11.include Christine, in his third stint with the club. Marsh is a

:18:12. > :18:18.former Wigan player. I cannot emphasise too much how Kevin Brown

:18:19. > :18:22.is important to the team. Brown is the go to play. Jon Clarke is vastly

:18:23. > :18:32.experienced, in his 18th season with the club. The back three is massive.

:18:33. > :18:40.Hep Cahill is massive, there go to man. Danny Galea and Danny Tickle

:18:41. > :18:47.himself has plenty of experience in the Challenge Cup to help his team.

:18:48. > :18:50.Allen and O'Carroll are former Wigan products. They can come off the

:18:51. > :18:57.bench. And also Lloyd White, the Welsh man, he will be incisive

:18:58. > :19:02.around the halves. Willie Isa, the Samoan international, equally at

:19:03. > :19:08.home in the centre or the back row. Widnes have been warming up in front

:19:09. > :19:11.of their fans. We spoke about the Castleford forwards and it will be

:19:12. > :19:17.these guys were Widnes who will have to do a job, Hep Cahill. He is one

:19:18. > :19:22.player that Brian Noble says you will have to keep an eye on. He is a

:19:23. > :19:28.loose forward with good playing ability and good footwork. Outside

:19:29. > :19:33.also is Jon Clarke, old Father Time of the club. You can see him

:19:34. > :19:36.directing the play and that is what makes him especial player. Going to

:19:37. > :19:41.the breakdown and about to release the ball. Playing it to Kevin Brown,

:19:42. > :19:51.that is what they will try to do to score a try. Jon can I have a word?

:19:52. > :19:54.How have your preparations gone? As you know, the semifinals is about

:19:55. > :19:59.turning up on the day. Things have been going well. What would it mean

:20:00. > :20:03.to you and the fans to get a win today? We have put a big emphasis on

:20:04. > :20:09.the Challenge Cup this year so hopefully we can turn up today.

:20:10. > :20:14.Thank you for joining us. There is no doubting who the star man is the

:20:15. > :20:18.Widnes, there were a few raised eyebrows when Kevin Brown joined

:20:19. > :20:22.from Huddersfield Giants, but at a couple of injury hit seasons he has

:20:23. > :20:33.been in sparkling form. -- after a couple.

:20:34. > :20:41.Coming to Widnes, on the outside of it it was strange, winning so much

:20:42. > :20:45.praise for being the captain of a fantastic Huddersfield side but

:20:46. > :20:48.talking to Dennis Betts and Steve O'Connor, the ambition they had and

:20:49. > :20:53.the way they were going to go about it and the improvements they were

:20:54. > :20:56.going to make, that sold it to me. And everything they said they had

:20:57. > :21:00.done, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I

:21:01. > :21:07.love being here at this club and I am happy about how it is going. I

:21:08. > :21:14.remember going to watch at Wembley, watching Martin go around Tate. I

:21:15. > :21:18.was dreaming one day that it could be me. Playing out there with my

:21:19. > :21:24.mates, doing something that I love on the biggest possible stage. I had

:21:25. > :21:29.a great day in 2004, I was only 18. It was a massive game, Wigan versus

:21:30. > :21:33.Saints. We got beaten and I remember having a try disallowed. And

:21:34. > :21:41.thinking that my world had ended after that game. We went back in

:21:42. > :22:03.2009, and Paul Jackson, my mate, my prop forward colleague,

:22:04. > :22:05.There was a chance that we could get back there and I'm determined to

:22:06. > :22:10.give it everything I can to get there again. If you'd have said to

:22:11. > :22:15.Castleford and Widnes that they would both be in the top eight and

:22:16. > :22:20.semifinal at this stage, with four Super League games to go, you would

:22:21. > :22:24.probably snatch their hands off, but that is how it felt. It is great for

:22:25. > :22:29.the game to have something different, especially when I am

:22:30. > :22:34.playing for Widnes. Giving the fans something to cheer about in the New

:22:35. > :22:39.Year, and they have had some dark days in the championship and the

:22:40. > :22:44.lower parts of the Super League, and not having these big days out, and

:22:45. > :22:49.there are 2500 people in fancy dress turning up to the game so it will a

:22:50. > :22:58.great occasion, and getting to the final would mean everything for the

:22:59. > :23:05.town and the club. So, how does he match up against Liam Finn? He is

:23:06. > :23:15.quite an achiever, but they have very similar stats. Try assists. The

:23:16. > :23:19.number of passes is very similar. They are the go to players.

:23:20. > :23:24.Everybody is having a crack at Liam Finn, doing double the amount of

:23:25. > :23:27.tackles. I cannot overemphasise how much the kicking game will be

:23:28. > :23:32.important for both sides. The kicking game of Kevin Brown is

:23:33. > :23:36.better than that of Liam Finn. Having talked about the sunshine,

:23:37. > :23:41.the rain is starting to come down. The clouds are getting darker. Thank

:23:42. > :23:45.you for holding the umbrella. You played with him at Huddersfield, why

:23:46. > :23:51.is Kevin Brown so special? It is his commitment. Dennis Betts is the

:23:52. > :23:55.coach. Kevin Brown will have a lot of impact on what goes on on the

:23:56. > :24:01.field. He is a smart worker. I have a lot of respect for him. I look

:24:02. > :24:04.back and I think it is probably the right decision for him and he has

:24:05. > :24:11.gone on to be so successful and he is doing so well. He is pivotal

:24:12. > :24:15.today for Widnes. He is key, playing in lots of big games and he will

:24:16. > :24:17.touch the ball more than anyone. If he plays well they will have a

:24:18. > :24:24.chance of winning because of his presence. Big players have that

:24:25. > :24:30.presence and it allows them to attract players. We see another

:24:31. > :24:39.example of this here. His ability to track defenders. The London player

:24:40. > :24:43.rushes out because he is worried about his running threat and he puts

:24:44. > :24:46.somebody through the hole. He is an excellent player who makes all of

:24:47. > :24:54.the right decisions, we talked about Clarke being a Man of Steel, but so

:24:55. > :24:59.could he, because he organises well, tells players where to go, herding

:25:00. > :25:03.players around, and he is a good stand-off. He makes it look like he

:25:04. > :25:06.will hit the person at the front, and that is what the Castleford

:25:07. > :25:11.players think but he goes out the back. More often than not he makes

:25:12. > :25:16.the right decision as a stand-off, whether to run, kick or pass. He

:25:17. > :25:22.gets away there, giving it to the fallback Rhys Hanbury. He has pace

:25:23. > :25:27.to burn. You can see him there, scoring in the corner. He will be

:25:28. > :25:33.the key today. Will he be the kind of character cheering them on or

:25:34. > :25:38.will he be quiet at this stage? A bit of both, you can tell that he is

:25:39. > :25:41.feeling nervous now, that is how much he thinks about the game and

:25:42. > :25:44.how much it means to him but he will be getting the team motivated,

:25:45. > :25:49.telling them what to do and reminding the side what they need to

:25:50. > :25:53.do to win. He will go around doing the handshakes now, this is what

:25:54. > :25:57.everyone does before the game. Overall he will be quieter than

:25:58. > :26:04.usual. Castleford are also a tight-knit group. Both teams are

:26:05. > :26:08.very similar in this respect, they have the whole community behind them

:26:09. > :26:11.and two terrific coaches and backroom staff to die for. They are

:26:12. > :26:20.clearly committed to each other and this is a good site to see. What was

:26:21. > :26:25.it like for you guys, what are these final moments like? You cannot wait

:26:26. > :26:28.to get out there, to be honest. You have prepared all week, they will

:26:29. > :26:36.feel as though they are ready to play. The start is vital, Widnes

:26:37. > :26:39.have had a poor start in games throughout the season, conceding

:26:40. > :26:43.twice as many tries as Castleford in the opening ten minutes and Widnes

:26:44. > :26:47.will need to get that right. But Castleford will need to start well

:26:48. > :26:51.as well. You cannot overemphasise the atmosphere, they have played at

:26:52. > :26:56.really good grounds but this is something special? They will have to

:26:57. > :27:01.have prepared well because they will not hear half of the calls when it

:27:02. > :27:05.is this noisy, again, to reiterate what JP was saying, the weather will

:27:06. > :27:16.come, kicking early will be vital as well. It is important in relation to

:27:17. > :27:22.Widnes not starting well, if it is 0-0 after 20 minutes Widnes will be

:27:23. > :27:27.the happier. How much do they look to the experience of Shenton when

:27:28. > :27:31.you have young players, how important is that in the line-up?

:27:32. > :27:35.They can add a lot to the team, controlling the middle, the linchpin

:27:36. > :27:39.is that we talked about before, they need to take control. Shenton is out

:27:40. > :27:42.wide and he will not be able to control what is happening in the

:27:43. > :27:49.middle, the kickers have to put it into the corners, and get some good

:27:50. > :27:54.line speed to put pressure on. Having a leader during a big game,

:27:55. > :27:58.you have to be relaxed and focused, your body language is infectious and

:27:59. > :28:02.it affects everyone so it is important to remain calm but

:28:03. > :28:04.focused. Castleford came out and then it is important to remain calm

:28:05. > :28:08.but focused. Castleford came out and minute or two before Widnes. I think

:28:09. > :28:14.they are both ready to play. We get carried away, the pundits, saying,

:28:15. > :28:20.what is happening, but I am sure both teams are ready to play. Over

:28:21. > :28:24.to the commentary box to join Dave Woods and Jonathan Davies. Let's get

:28:25. > :28:34.the teams out there, they will be hit by the crowds roar when they get

:28:35. > :28:55.out. CHEERING COMMENTATOR: Well, it is a number

:28:56. > :29:02.leave a ball atmosphere in here today. Take a deep breath now, you

:29:03. > :29:06.might not get another chance. There is an emotional quality to the

:29:07. > :29:10.atmosphere here, two teams and sets of fans who simply do not get enough

:29:11. > :29:14.chances to sample this kind of occasion, and they are determined to

:29:15. > :29:21.make the most of it today. This is the way that they are lining up,

:29:22. > :29:25.Widnes, bringing back Gerrard into the starting 13. Watch out for

:29:26. > :29:35.Marsh. And the thrill factor provided by Hanbury and Mellor.

:29:36. > :29:38.Castleford at missing three key players. Hauraki and Justin Carney,

:29:39. > :29:44.the winger, but they still have plenty about them. Daryl Clark could

:29:45. > :29:48.have a major influence depending on how well the big fellas around him

:29:49. > :29:54.get on this afternoon. Richard Silverwood is the referee today.

:29:55. > :29:58.This is not the kind of chance that comes around every year for either

:29:59. > :30:03.of these two clubs, and entire generation has been born and raised

:30:04. > :30:14.since either of these tasted Wembley glory. For one of them today, this

:30:15. > :30:21.will be magical. It is how you handle the emotion of a big

:30:22. > :30:28.occasion. It means everything to these fans to get to Wembley. It is

:30:29. > :30:34.great to see Warrington and Leeds and Wigan, but there are two new

:30:35. > :30:44.name is seeking glory today. They have both shown huge improvement. It

:30:45. > :31:13.is a great stage for these sides, two very good clubs.

:31:14. > :31:19.There is blood there already. I think the weather has affected the

:31:20. > :31:25.mindset for this game. It has been very wet. It is going to rain during

:31:26. > :31:36.the match. The kicking game is going to be absolutely crucial. The

:31:37. > :31:50.Castleford pack is very big and impressive. Whoever defends best

:31:51. > :31:55.will win this game today. Liam Finn was playing on this ground as the

:31:56. > :31:59.Championship player 12 months ago with Featherstone Rovers in front of

:32:00. > :32:04.a couple of thousand people. Nothing like the occasion we have got here

:32:05. > :32:12.today. He has been one of the many success stories that Castleford and

:32:13. > :32:24.Wigan this year. Whoever gets to Wembley from here, it is a fairy

:32:25. > :32:32.tale. I don't think that was the best cake for Finn. You want to

:32:33. > :32:41.compete for the ball. You have to complete the sets and get good kicks

:32:42. > :32:51.in. Brian Noble, early thoughts? A reflection on the conditions. The

:32:52. > :32:55.ground is in magnificent condition. There cannot be better condition for

:32:56. > :33:10.playing football. Both teams will try to do that. These two teams will

:33:11. > :33:14.feel each other out early on. On the state of the ground, they played a

:33:15. > :33:19.big game here on Friday night. Well done to the home see -- the home

:33:20. > :33:31.team, who secured the Championship. It was a party night on Friday

:33:32. > :33:38.night. I agree with Brian. The pitch is absolutely immaculate. They had

:33:39. > :33:42.an Elton John concert on here a couple of months ago, which I don't

:33:43. > :33:53.think health office. -- helped matters.

:33:54. > :34:00.Michael Shenton has been to refit in his leadership this year. Here comes

:34:01. > :34:07.the final tackle. It is a nervous occasion. Both sides trying to

:34:08. > :34:24.settle themselves. A good Castleford Chase. I think it is a ploy from

:34:25. > :34:44.Castleford. They are having an arm wrestle at the moment.

:34:45. > :35:00.It is Castleford's turned to do the really tough stuff. -- turn. Daryl

:35:01. > :35:06.Clark gets the break. Here comes Liam Finn. He is running away. There

:35:07. > :35:13.is a collision in the background but Liam Finn touches down! The referee

:35:14. > :35:25.is happy with it! Castleford get the opening try. Liam Finn the scorer. A

:35:26. > :35:33.pass that ripped apart the Widnes defence. First blood to Castleford

:35:34. > :35:36.Tigers. We mentioned Daryl Clark before the game. The standout

:35:37. > :35:44.player. He has been in brilliant form. One guy on the floor, one

:35:45. > :35:47.marker, he is away. Bounces off the tackle, gets the off-load. And it is

:35:48. > :36:09.an easy run-in for Finn. Kevin Brown was playing for the

:36:10. > :36:15.penalty. He was not going to get to Liam Finn. I hate to put pressure on

:36:16. > :36:21.young players, but potentially he could be one of the stories of not

:36:22. > :36:25.only Super League, but the game itself. Daryl Clark is a terrific

:36:26. > :36:32.player. We highlighted him at the top of the show and he showed why.

:36:33. > :36:41.He is only 21 now. He has been a regular for three years. He is a

:36:42. > :36:51.natural player. Watches kicking style, Marc Sneyd. -- watches

:36:52. > :37:07.kicking style. Over it goes. 6-0, Castleford lay. He bombs the

:37:08. > :37:11.tackle, he off-loads, great support. Luke Dorn is like the add-on piece

:37:12. > :37:24.of McCann to Daryl Clark. Wherever he goes, he follows him. -- Meccano.

:37:25. > :37:34.The perfect start for Daryl Powell and his coaching staff.

:37:35. > :37:45.Widnes have got to do this. They do switch off sometimes, defensively.

:37:46. > :37:49.One lapse in concentration and that man Daryl Clark is there and you get

:37:50. > :37:54.punished for it. That is what semifinal football is all about.

:37:55. > :38:00.They should have known from the league game. Denis Betts is smart

:38:01. > :38:09.enough to have talked about that. It is all right talking about it,

:38:10. > :38:18.somebody has to do about it. He is a massive influence in these early

:38:19. > :38:28.stages. You have to give credit to people like Lynch, who laid that

:38:29. > :38:43.platform for him. -- Lynch and Ruby. Some semifinal nerves there. Oh,

:38:44. > :38:56.dear. He had a little luck there. He just looked up. You have to catch it

:38:57. > :39:29.before you go anywhere. If he had had his elbows together...

:39:30. > :39:48.He is in to score the try, I think! Two tries in the opening ten

:39:49. > :39:56.minutes. And Daryl Clark is at the heart of both of them. Either as

:39:57. > :40:07.creator or scorer. And Castleford already lead by 10-0. Widnes have to

:40:08. > :40:18.get on with it. They need to defend this scrum play. Daryl Clark was too

:40:19. > :40:25.big and strong from there. It was a great dummy -- dummy run first of

:40:26. > :40:36.all. He holds the defence. Oliver Holmes does the run. Pulls him in.

:40:37. > :40:45.He is on the outside for a try. What a start for a Castleford. What about

:40:46. > :40:49.Widnes? Where do they go from here? The other end of the field is the

:40:50. > :40:57.obvious answer. How do they pick themselves up? They are the worst

:40:58. > :41:00.starting team in the Super League. They are used to being in this

:41:01. > :41:09.position. I do not think it will faze them. Here comes Marc Sneyd

:41:10. > :41:21.again with that unusual style of his. A little glance over the

:41:22. > :41:29.shoulder. The Widnes fans doing their best to put him off. He didn't

:41:30. > :41:36.quite get enough on the hook. Just watched the dummy run. Number 16. He

:41:37. > :41:46.just ties the defender in. Clever run. Very well executed. You have

:41:47. > :42:03.also give -- got to give credit to Shenton. (space for Daryl Clark.

:42:04. > :42:11.Very good play. George, news from the touchline? A few moments ago

:42:12. > :42:14.Denis Betts reacted to the try by leaping to his feet. He was very

:42:15. > :42:24.animated. Barking instructions down to the bench.

:42:25. > :42:33.Castleford just rolling on. They have grasped the opportunity. They

:42:34. > :42:45.have come out firing right from the start. That shows how wet it is. It

:42:46. > :42:52.was a lovely kick added just skipped off the ground. Widnes have got to

:42:53. > :43:06.get field position and make Castleford make a mistake. They have

:43:07. > :43:07.got to keep on going, keep their patients and get their kicking game

:43:08. > :43:36.going. -- stay patient. That is free from four kicks that

:43:37. > :43:40.they have kicked dead. It is not putting Castleford under pressure.

:43:41. > :43:52.They have to keep more of the balls in play. Widnes play on a synthetic

:43:53. > :44:00.pitch. That kills the bounce. Now there is grass and it is wet, it is

:44:01. > :44:06.going to skip. Keep it in the field of play. Make Castleford run the

:44:07. > :44:14.ball out. The worrying thing for me for Windows is they have got too

:44:15. > :44:32.many players in and around the ruck. -- Widnes.

:44:33. > :44:42.Let's hear from Robbie Hunter Paul. If you watched the game yesterday

:44:43. > :44:46.and use saw the discipline that Leeds showed in the opening 20

:44:47. > :44:52.minutes of the game, we are seeing a reflection of that from Castleford

:44:53. > :44:58.today. They have been ruthless. They are making Widnes deal with these

:44:59. > :45:04.wet conditions. The only difference between yesterday and today is it is

:45:05. > :45:07.pouring down with rain and Castleford have been able to turn

:45:08. > :45:10.that relentless pressure into points. You cannot get away with

:45:11. > :45:29.that! Another kick aimed for a manner that

:45:30. > :45:42.has Clark scrambling back. A better cake. -- kick. He was offside. He

:45:43. > :45:51.has got to check that run. Let's see if he was offside. Only just. He has

:45:52. > :46:04.got to hold the run. Little things make huge differences. That is a big

:46:05. > :46:06.one for me. 14 minutes in and you are trying to get a hold on the

:46:07. > :46:28.game. Castleford are playing very simply.

:46:29. > :46:36.The only thing that is stopping them from a path -- perfect set by the

:46:37. > :46:58.Port kicks at the end. -- poor kicks.

:46:59. > :47:05.Owens has not dealt with that one either! Dixon claims a try. It is

:47:06. > :47:11.only a claim because the referee wants to have a look at it again.

:47:12. > :47:17.Let's hear from the video referee. I'm just going to check onside,

:47:18. > :47:27.offside first. Then check it was a knock-on by Castleford. It looks

:47:28. > :47:33.like everybody on the right-hand side is onside. Role that through,

:47:34. > :47:45.please. It is just the challenge in the air. Whose hand does it touch?

:47:46. > :47:58.That hits Webster's hand and travels towards the Widnes line. It is no

:47:59. > :48:04.try. The Castleford fans, because they

:48:05. > :48:12.saw be grounding, thought it was a try. They will get some shock year.

:48:13. > :48:15.The Widnes fans celebrating. 15 minutes played. Kirk Dixon is denied

:48:16. > :48:23.what would have been a third Castleford try. That was a better

:48:24. > :48:36.kick. Your centres and your winners can get to the ball. -- wingers. A

:48:37. > :48:56.big puff of fresh air from Widnes. That was a huge relief. That does

:48:57. > :49:04.not look very good. Craig Huby is in pain. It looks like he has

:49:05. > :49:14.dislocated something. You know from the reactions of the players if it

:49:15. > :49:19.is serious or not. He will be devastated if he has to leave the

:49:20. > :49:29.scene here, Craig Huby. Castleford man and boy. His left arm was

:49:30. > :49:42.caught. That does not look very good. Danny Tickle in the middle for

:49:43. > :49:49.Widnes, applauding Craig Huby. That was a sporting gesture. It was

:49:50. > :49:55.purely accidental from his own player, really. Craig Huby has been

:49:56. > :50:00.awesome for this Castleford team this year. He has been at the centre

:50:01. > :50:02.of most of the things they have done. That is a big loss early in

:50:03. > :50:32.the game. It is a big loss. Widnes beginning to prosper. Cahill

:50:33. > :50:38.knocked on. Widnes are complaining it was a steal. Very good attacking.

:50:39. > :50:53.That was a good tackle. Do not forget, by the way, we go on

:50:54. > :51:20.a lot longer than just the match today.

:51:21. > :51:30.Castleford and Widnes literally battling at the moment. Widnes are

:51:31. > :51:45.trying to stop the Castleford momentum.

:51:46. > :51:58.The referee having a word with his touch judge. Was it that bad? No. It

:51:59. > :52:12.does not need a lecture. You have got him around the neck. I don't

:52:13. > :52:23.need you coming in a costing people. -- accosting. The problem for Widnes

:52:24. > :52:31.now is that the tackle gives Castleford good field position again

:52:32. > :52:38.from which to attack. Marc Sneyd has found touch. Let's get the latest on

:52:39. > :52:45.the injury to Craig Huby. A dislocated left elbow. He is the

:52:46. > :52:50.kind of player who does not react to injury. His face was a mask of pain.

:52:51. > :52:52.The doctor has said it is a dislocation of the elbow. He is not

:52:53. > :53:08.coming back. Great play from Duque -- Luke Dorn

:53:09. > :53:27.under pressure. Ten metres away. Daryl Clark is at

:53:28. > :53:40.dummy half. It comes back to the middle.

:53:41. > :53:54.A lovely kick. Well weighted. Just short of the line. Talking of Luke

:53:55. > :53:58.Dorn, I reckon he got a shiver down the spine when he came here today.

:53:59. > :54:04.He was involved in the London side that played here last year. One of

:54:05. > :54:11.the most one-sided semifinals we have seen since Brian Noble was

:54:12. > :54:13.running around. When was that, 1971? Do not take me back to the dark

:54:14. > :54:28.places! Andy Lynch has had a good season. A

:54:29. > :55:07.very good season. Castleford are in sprightly form.

:55:08. > :55:17.Paddy Flynn can clear his lines very effectively. Very well defended

:55:18. > :55:18.Widnes. It is reminiscent what Leeds were trying to do to Warrington,

:55:19. > :55:34.this pressure. Widnes digging deep. Grinding their

:55:35. > :55:43.way back into this game if they can. After 20 minutes, possession and

:55:44. > :55:52.territory very similar to yesterday. 63% possession to Castleford and

:55:53. > :55:53.territory is even greater. Hang on in there, Widnes. Get some field

:55:54. > :56:09.position. Castleford 20 get their players

:56:10. > :56:20.behind to play-the-ball. -- trying to get.

:56:21. > :56:41.Here come will Castleford again. That's my Castleford. -- Castleford.

:56:42. > :56:49.The ball swirled in the wind and the rain and that is what happens on a

:56:50. > :56:54.day like today. That was a nightmare for Rhys Hanbury. An absolute

:56:55. > :57:01.nightmare. And it is going to be a drop out the stakes. I think that

:57:02. > :57:06.went backwards. He was not really certain but I think it went

:57:07. > :57:13.backwards. That should have been play on. Castleford are playing the

:57:14. > :57:18.conditions are little bit better. They are taking their big forwards

:57:19. > :57:22.up the side of the ruck. A lot of attention on Daryl Clark, as they

:57:23. > :57:28.should be. Very simple and effective played by Castleford. I know you

:57:29. > :57:35.played for Widnes and all that, but backwards? You are outnumbered,

:57:36. > :57:59.Dave. I thought it went backwards as well.

:58:00. > :58:02.The conditions have deteriorated. The wind is very gusty and it is

:58:03. > :58:24.raining heavily. Well done Rhys Hanbury there. He

:58:25. > :58:37.read it really well. Hurricane Bertha is here. Hurricane Bernard is

:58:38. > :58:42.here! Bertha, is it? That is a relieving penalty for Widnes. Now

:58:43. > :58:52.then, if they can get a good kick and a good attacking position...

:58:53. > :59:05.Helped by a gust of wind and a big boot. Widnes trailing by ten points.

:59:06. > :59:10.The hurricane that Castleford threw at them in the opening stages may

:59:11. > :59:12.just be abating a little bit. There may be a chance for Widnes to regain

:59:13. > :59:38.a foothold. The referee claims that was a

:59:39. > :59:50.grapple tackle as well from Oliver Holmes. I think he has evened it up

:59:51. > :00:01.therefore the Cahill one. -- there for the Cahill one. I thought

:00:02. > :00:18.Hanbury should have taken off them. Close enough.

:00:19. > :00:37.A couple of dummies... Not quite slithering over, Dave Allen. He

:00:38. > :00:41.plays it back. Suddenly it is a recovery run. Look at the break from

:00:42. > :01:01.Castleford! A wonderful run from Marianne. -- Mariano.

:01:02. > :01:08.That kick went right into his arms. He went for it. Webster, he produced

:01:09. > :01:16.a wonderful pass which led to a try against Wigan in the quarterfinals.

:01:17. > :01:25.They have taken up position again here, Cas. Liam Finn. Snake'. A

:01:26. > :01:35.couple of dummies. He had his ankles tapped. He just caught him. --

:01:36. > :01:41.Sneyd. It is a great game, I have to say. It is a really good game, last

:01:42. > :01:52.ditch desperation defence from both teams. Breaks from hawkers. Keep

:01:53. > :01:58.your hats on. -- hookers. Denis Betts looks calm and collected. I am

:01:59. > :02:07.sure he is bubbling up inside. Kevin Brown just pushing Clarke out of the

:02:08. > :02:15.way. That is a poor kick. Looking further penalty. Clare with the

:02:16. > :02:20.return. They are running at a relentless pace, lots of boys

:02:21. > :02:26.recovering from the kicks and that is to be expected. With the pace of

:02:27. > :02:30.the game like this. Lots of us have been caught up in the atmosphere,

:02:31. > :02:40.the first 20 minutes was electric, a very fast pace. Here is pin.

:02:41. > :02:49.Shenton. -- Finn. Trying to get the kick and chase in. Back on the 20

:02:50. > :02:54.metres. Luke Dorn is such a danger. Every time he comes in, he has that

:02:55. > :02:57.acceleration, good hands and the awareness because he has played at

:02:58. > :03:08.half-backs. He is a very dangerous player. Widnes are looking to run it

:03:09. > :03:15.clear again. Willie Isa, the Sale International. Injuries meant that

:03:16. > :03:22.he only played nine times. They certainly did not see the best of

:03:23. > :03:26.him. I think he has only scored three tries in three seasons at

:03:27. > :03:35.Super League. This is a terrific kick, right into the corner.

:03:36. > :03:42.Castleford start five and five, five in and five from the try line. The

:03:43. > :03:48.Widnes defence are ready and lined up and waiting for this now. Dixon.

:03:49. > :03:53.He has done quite a bit of work down the middle of the park. Good play by

:03:54. > :03:59.the Castleford back three, giving the forwards time to get back. Now

:04:00. > :04:06.they take over. Sneyd with the kick. Hanbury. That was not a kind bounce.

:04:07. > :04:13.It turns back and he has to deal with this. Got to deal with it. The

:04:14. > :04:20.Castleford Chase is enthusiastic. That is where he stays. That is a

:04:21. > :04:32.good kick and chase by Castleford. Owens. Dean. As you say, the word of

:04:33. > :04:43.the day is relentless, it has been relentless so far. Such a fast pace.

:04:44. > :04:49.Here is Clarke. Willie Isa. Five tackles already for Widnes, they are

:04:50. > :04:55.still short of the 40 metre line so it will take a good kick, it drags

:04:56. > :04:59.along the ground and it gives the chasing defenders annexed a few

:05:00. > :05:11.seconds to get up there. -- some extra seconds. It has significantly

:05:12. > :05:14.dropped, the pace. Here is Webster. This is where players like Rhys

:05:15. > :05:25.Hanbury all Luke Dorn can be effective. Tight forwards. -- or

:05:26. > :05:28.Luke Dorn. Dixon. The backs are heavily involved in clearing the

:05:29. > :05:33.Castleford lines. Now the big fella is going to go. Here is Lynch. He

:05:34. > :05:44.claims of obstruction but the referee tells him to play on. Over

:05:45. > :05:49.on the left side. Sneyd, driving it across towards Dixon, he was

:05:50. > :05:56.lingering but Owens again catches it. And he gets a penalty. That was

:05:57. > :06:02.a good catch because he was under a bit of pressure, cleaned it up. It

:06:03. > :06:05.was not a good kick by Sneyd. A bit more conservative now that the pace

:06:06. > :06:21.has settled down. Waiting for the error. REFEREE: Release him! Arms in

:06:22. > :06:25.the air. Driving through, Carol. One of many in the Widnes side who have

:06:26. > :06:32.roots with Wigan. Kevin Brown is one of them. Mellor is another one and

:06:33. > :06:46.he has dropped it. A difficult path to take. -- pass. It was a difficult

:06:47. > :06:51.one to take, it dies on him, and it is a dangerous period of the game

:06:52. > :06:58.for them, they need to score next. I think so. They have not had the

:06:59. > :07:03.creative opportunities yet. Two quick tries by Castleford. The game

:07:04. > :07:14.has evened out, apart from those two incidents. Eight minutes of the

:07:15. > :07:18.first half remaining, if you are joining us late, the tries were

:07:19. > :07:23.scored in the opening ten minutes, Liam Finn and Daryl Clark. At that

:07:24. > :07:37.stage Castleford were pushing very hard. Widnes have hung on. Here is

:07:38. > :07:44.Clarke. Lynch throws it back. Holmes found the shoulder of Dave Aaron,

:07:45. > :07:59.the Irish international. Sneyd again. Lynch. Clarke. Jewett. And

:08:00. > :08:03.now Finn. Webster came in at pace, but he cannot quite break through

:08:04. > :08:11.the line. The Widnes defenders were there before him. Quick hands from

:08:12. > :08:16.Mariano, but somehow it gets through to Kirk Dixon to score the try, that

:08:17. > :08:21.is the third the Castleford. A little bit of magic has been weaved,

:08:22. > :08:38.tight to the right-hand side, and Castleford extend their lead. Very

:08:39. > :08:44.good on the short side. There you go, going down the short side.

:08:45. > :08:51.Again, Luke Dorn, great hands. That was great, great hands, just watch

:08:52. > :08:57.him. He makes the pass, beating the extra man. To redbrick from Mariano

:08:58. > :09:02.and Luke Dorn -- terrific. He knows that Dixon is there. That is a good

:09:03. > :09:10.finish because Dixon has two catch it, come inside and beat Hanbury,

:09:11. > :09:15.right across and into touch. That is how advantageous a footballing

:09:16. > :09:19.full-back is, he plays as an extra man at half-backs, comes in and

:09:20. > :09:26.spots the extra man and creates a try. Well done, Luke Dorn. The

:09:27. > :09:31.Castleford fans are loving this at the moment, absolutely loving it,

:09:32. > :09:35.what a season they are having and Widnes are having a great season as

:09:36. > :09:39.well. Castleford are within two points of top spot in Super League

:09:40. > :09:44.at the moment, theoretically they could still win the double, more

:09:45. > :09:49.than theoretically, realistically they could win, but it is a huge

:09:50. > :09:53.ask. They have certainly started this semifinal in the correct

:09:54. > :09:57.manner. It is reminiscent of yesterday 's performance at Leeds,

:09:58. > :10:02.in the first half, the set play with Clarke at the start of the game,

:10:03. > :10:12.Luke Dorn injects himself, and his speed creates another try. It is all

:10:13. > :10:21.going their way at the moment. Marc Sneyd. Kicked one, missed one of the

:10:22. > :10:26.two so far. On the touchline, with all of the noise echoing in his ears

:10:27. > :10:39.and he has pulled it wide again. They were difficult ones. Castleford

:10:40. > :10:46.are still leading, 14-0. That was a good pass because he knew that Dixon

:10:47. > :10:50.was there and Brown was trying to close him down, at that pace, you

:10:51. > :10:59.just have two step and finish, but it was well executed. -- have to.

:11:00. > :11:03.Widnes need a response before half-time? Yes, it would be great if

:11:04. > :11:08.they had it but they cannot concede another, that is crucial. 14 points

:11:09. > :11:16.in the modern game of rugby league is not much, if Widnes get a score,

:11:17. > :11:21.they will be able to have a sensible second half but they cannot allow

:11:22. > :11:28.Cas to score more. Further news for Craig Huby, apologies to the viewers

:11:29. > :11:32.having a late Avenue and snack, the doctors have been unable to put his

:11:33. > :11:36.elbow back in so he has had to go to hospital to get it sorted. Obviously

:11:37. > :11:40.he will play no further part but you have to wonder what Wembley would be

:11:41. > :11:50.like if Castleford see this through in a couple of weeks. That is not a

:11:51. > :11:55.lot of recovery time through a dislocated elbow, two weeks. It is

:11:56. > :11:59.unlikely he will be there. We are still a long way away from that

:12:00. > :12:04.prospect, we still have 46 minutes left. Widnes are still trailing, but

:12:05. > :12:15.they have never got their heads into this. Widnes, Cahill. He has got a

:12:16. > :12:20.lot of experience of Challenge Cup finals, on the field here, for

:12:21. > :12:24.Widnes. A large amount of experience in the coaching staff and

:12:25. > :12:30.Castleford, Dennis Betts, the seven time Challenge Cup winner. And they

:12:31. > :12:34.winner in 1991 as well, and he will have plenty to say at half-time,

:12:35. > :12:40.this is the sixth tackle, 20 metres out. Shipping it high again. Dixon

:12:41. > :12:48.makes it to be in-goal area but from that position it is a tap out. Dorn

:12:49. > :12:55.felt that he was away there. Still a chance. It was a diffused Balm, so

:12:56. > :13:00.the referee was right. Giving a 20 metre restart. He was not allowed to

:13:01. > :13:07.take it quickly because he was not the man that caught it. -- bomb. It

:13:08. > :13:15.will be interesting to see that one again. Jewett, after the cry of

:13:16. > :13:22.held. They will go back and play it again. He has got that right, and by

:13:23. > :13:27.a matter of millimetres. Not the first time this year. I was just

:13:28. > :13:33.saying how close it was, that is great eyesight, great spot. He took

:13:34. > :13:37.it from the field of play and did not diffused it. That is a forward

:13:38. > :13:44.pass. The touch judge has a good look at that. It has not been given.

:13:45. > :13:49.I am not sure he was watching, he was right in line and if he did not

:13:50. > :13:55.see that forward pass... He has got Spec Savers on his back, maybe he

:13:56. > :14:02.should have gone there! Going across the line of yellow which was up

:14:03. > :14:11.quickly. Good to see legends of the game. If anybody embodies the game,

:14:12. > :14:16.it is Alex, as a player and coach over the years. And you would not

:14:17. > :14:27.expect the Challenge Cup without Morgan being here, he is very much a

:14:28. > :14:37.legend. That is a diving catch. REFEREE: Play on! The big difference

:14:38. > :14:43.has been the go forward at the moment, Liam Finn and Clarke have

:14:44. > :14:48.had a good platform, but Joe Mellor has not because the Widnes forwards

:14:49. > :14:51.have not given them a platform yet. Another set of six to get through,

:14:52. > :14:57.they will be able to wind it down and keep their lead intact going

:14:58. > :15:03.into half-time. Widnes are desperate. That is the chairman of

:15:04. > :15:11.the Rugby football league these days. This is a chance, a kick

:15:12. > :15:15.downfield and a bit of desperation, he watches it out and is careful not

:15:16. > :15:21.to touch it... But it has been given! That is a free play, isn't

:15:22. > :15:28.it? It has got to be a free play. He is having a look at it. It is a free

:15:29. > :15:33.play from now. They should play on. Widnes get the ball. For me, they

:15:34. > :15:38.get the scrum if they want the advantage to be played. The referee

:15:39. > :15:43.has two interpret where the advantage is, the play-the-ball back

:15:44. > :15:50.there. That would have been a scrum in their favour anyway? Yes, if the

:15:51. > :15:53.Castleford player took it out. It is out before the Castleford player

:15:54. > :16:00.touches it, so he has got the right and so in the end. -- right answer.

:16:01. > :16:13.It is the play-the-ball to Widnes here. The feed at the scrum,

:16:14. > :16:18.possession to Widnes. Only a minute left, a flat backline, is it worth

:16:19. > :16:23.kicking it through to the posts and chasing? No one is back there. The

:16:24. > :16:28.first effort is a barging run by Willie Isa. WHISTLE

:16:29. > :16:34.The ball has been lost, penalty. It was worth kicking it. Luke Dorn was

:16:35. > :16:40.racing out. Plenty of speed. I would definitely go for the posts here.

:16:41. > :16:47.They are running it. That is another penalty. They are getting closer.

:16:48. > :16:52.Thereafter you are seconds on the clock, so maybe this time they will

:16:53. > :16:59.kick. The referee has stopped the clock. What would you do? I would

:17:00. > :17:03.kick for goal, they are only going to get free play is at best and to

:17:04. > :17:11.get to within two scores, instead of three. They are going to tap it

:17:12. > :17:15.again, by the looks of it, though. They tap it. Hep Cahill. If they

:17:16. > :17:21.come out with nothing here they will be very frustrated. But then again

:17:22. > :17:28.if they were to score, two tackles to go. Here comes Tickle, he throws

:17:29. > :17:35.it back. A big drive forward. Lloyd White at dummy half. 12 seconds to

:17:36. > :17:40.go. Tickle. He is looking for a path down the middle and he very nearly

:17:41. > :17:50.found it, very nearly. The last play of the half, but the ball has been

:17:51. > :17:54.lost. The whistle will sound. Widnes come out empty-handed right at the

:17:55. > :17:59.end of the 40 minutes. It is Castleford in the shape of Liam

:18:00. > :18:03.Finn, Daryl Clark and Kirk Dixon who have their three tries, Clarke very

:18:04. > :18:08.much at the heart of all that has been good to Castleford so far.

:18:09. > :18:18.Widnes zero -14 Castleford is the half-time scoreline. Advantaged to

:18:19. > :18:23.the Yorkshire club at the moment. -- advantage. Let's hear from Michael

:18:24. > :18:30.Shenton of Castleford. How good a lead is 14 points? Pretty good but

:18:31. > :18:35.only half the job done, conditions are really bad, so we have two stay

:18:36. > :18:39.composed. Those errors could have let Widnes back in the game but we

:18:40. > :18:44.have been solid. There are still areas to improve. How can you make

:18:45. > :18:51.sure they do not come back? We will have to just worry about ourselves.

:18:52. > :18:54.I will let you get back. Thanks. He talked about the weather conditions

:18:55. > :18:59.there, Jamie, when you look at those stats, does that say that Castleford

:19:00. > :19:03.played better in these conditions? Definitely. They played pretty close

:19:04. > :19:10.to the perfect half, if you look at the possession and territory. It

:19:11. > :19:13.does not tell the story. But to 35mm Castleford only made one error, they

:19:14. > :19:20.made the best at and they took the game away from Widnes. One of the

:19:21. > :19:35.tweets says that Widnes are not getting the basics right. Castleford

:19:36. > :19:39.are getting out of trouble and into areas to create opportunities to

:19:40. > :19:45.score points. Widnes are not quite there at the moment. It was a

:19:46. > :19:49.fantastic start for Castleford with that early try. You have taken a

:19:50. > :19:57.look at the Finn try, what was the key? Daryl Clark like you picked out

:19:58. > :20:00.at the beginning? It was, but also the Widnes defenders, four people in

:20:01. > :20:06.the tackle and a lack of communication, one defender, that is

:20:07. > :20:10.the rule, that is when you run. And from there he uses his speed and a

:20:11. > :20:17.bit of strength to get through. A couple of contentious forward passes

:20:18. > :20:22.possibly. He runs alongside Finn for the pass and he does not mean

:20:23. > :20:26.anything, he is allowed to wait for the offload. That was possibly

:20:27. > :20:29.forward but it was not given and that is a great way to start the

:20:30. > :20:36.game to Castleford, and a fantastic tribe. Luke Dorn has been involved

:20:37. > :20:39.in all of the good things that Castleford has done. -- try.

:20:40. > :20:47.Straightaway he makes a breakthrough. Kevin Brown runs into

:20:48. > :20:53.the back of Jake Webster. It was a great start the Castleford. Five or

:20:54. > :20:56.six minutes in, they gave away a quick play-the-ball so that Daryl

:20:57. > :21:02.Clark can run. Did that set the tone for a while? It did. Castleford got

:21:03. > :21:06.the better of early exchanges by kicking better and controlling the

:21:07. > :21:10.ball better. Widnes did not get to grips with it straight away. You can

:21:11. > :21:17.see some of the kicks, early on, that was a good kick. They have been

:21:18. > :21:21.skidding out. I do not think their kicking game has been the best.

:21:22. > :21:26.Castleford had the better start and that is why they dominated. Look at

:21:27. > :21:32.that, relieving the pressure, Castleford get out to 40 metres. Big

:21:33. > :21:38.games are all about relieving pressure, and you can see that. They

:21:39. > :21:41.scored a try almost. In contrast Castleford are kicking it high which

:21:42. > :21:46.gives the full-backs and the wingers a standing start, and it gives them

:21:47. > :21:50.more chance to put pressure on, kicking it along the floor, that is

:21:51. > :21:57.really difficult because it is a slippy surface. Lots of kicks are

:21:58. > :22:02.going astray. As the rain came in, the windswept in, and they played

:22:03. > :22:10.the conditions better. Missing a kick led to the second drive. Yes,

:22:11. > :22:18.it was, a Widnes player missed it. -- try. What we will see is a set

:22:19. > :22:25.play, Daryl Powell loads set plays. Mark Sneed steps it up. Set plays

:22:26. > :22:30.are about exploiting surprise, and this one is about surprise. He is

:22:31. > :22:34.not expecting Daryl Clark. Roger defenders, and he attracted him and

:22:35. > :22:39.then there is a massive hole put Daryl Clark to run into but this is

:22:40. > :22:47.down to Daryl Powell. It was made by the other Darryl. You need that

:22:48. > :22:52.element of surprise and the ability to exploit the Widnes defence and

:22:53. > :22:55.that is a fantastic example. We picked out Daryl Clark and Allen

:22:56. > :23:00.says that he is a shoo-in for England. I would like to think so,

:23:01. > :23:05.with the kind of pace he has got, terrifying. Speaking from

:23:06. > :23:10.experience, I think the Australians do not do their homework on a lot of

:23:11. > :23:14.English players, they have an arrogance about themselves, and I do

:23:15. > :23:20.not think they know who he is. But he can cause real damage. Those are

:23:21. > :23:24.the Darryls, how key is the relationship between the young man

:23:25. > :23:27.and the master? It is key because you have to get the best out of your

:23:28. > :23:31.players and it comes down to the understanding and how they react.

:23:32. > :23:35.Lots of coaches might give them a hard time, put their arm around

:23:36. > :23:39.them, but he has found the right balance, not just for him but the

:23:40. > :23:45.rest of the team as well because they are working hard for their

:23:46. > :23:49.coach which is a big thing. He had to go off to hospital to have his

:23:50. > :23:53.elbows seem to, have to having a great impact in the beginning. It

:23:54. > :23:59.will be a big miss for the rest of the season? You would think that he

:24:00. > :24:04.would not play again, he has been in good form this year, and they will

:24:05. > :24:10.miss him. Coming back to what we spoke about, the squad ethos, can

:24:11. > :24:15.the squad adapt? He should be able to make up the numbers from the

:24:16. > :24:20.bench. Nobody likes to see a player going off injured like that. He will

:24:21. > :24:25.be a big loss for Cas. He is a key player, one of the unsung heroes in

:24:26. > :24:29.many ways. It is the way he plays as well. He supports the team. The

:24:30. > :24:34.ethos of working hard for each other. He acts as another

:24:35. > :24:39.ballplayer, he has got great hands, getting to the ball, playing it to

:24:40. > :24:45.Sneyd. He creates more from the middle of the field. There are

:24:46. > :24:49.players to fill in. They went on to score again with lovely quick hands

:24:50. > :24:54.for the final try? Yes, what we see at the start of this is what

:24:55. > :25:01.epitomises the way that Cas has played this year, making defenders

:25:02. > :25:05.make decisions. We are going to see them playing again, plenty of

:25:06. > :25:08.players, six or seven players, trying to make them make decisions

:25:09. > :25:12.in defence and they get what they want at the end of it, a quick

:25:13. > :25:16.play-the-ball which allows them to run down the short side and it is a

:25:17. > :25:22.lack of defence and communication there, the Widnes defenders should

:25:23. > :25:26.have travelled to the short side, a bit of that is down to a lack of

:25:27. > :25:31.communication, creating the overlap and then great hands after that.

:25:32. > :25:36.That is a wonderful ball, he knows that he has do catch and pass within

:25:37. > :25:40.half a second and he does that. We spoke earlier about world-class

:25:41. > :25:45.players, with Ryan Hall scoring that tried, and again that was

:25:46. > :25:52.world-class. Dennis vets, giving a few home truths to his players

:25:53. > :25:55.there. -- Dennis Betts. He looks pretty calm, they will be talking

:25:56. > :25:59.about controlling the ball more and getting it out of their own area

:26:00. > :26:03.because they are doing the hard work of their own line, instead of

:26:04. > :26:09.creating opportunities to score, they have only had a couple of sets

:26:10. > :26:13.at the Cas line, credit to them, but Widnes have the change to get back

:26:14. > :26:17.in the game. I like what Widnes were doing earlier in the game coming

:26:18. > :26:22.using the short side, but they went away from that. They got some easy

:26:23. > :26:26.metres from that, they should be talking about using that, getting

:26:27. > :26:33.the ball high, using the swirling wind. You saw Dennis giving Kevin

:26:34. > :26:38.Brown a quick pat on the back. They will need him. Liam Finn has

:26:39. > :26:41.dominated, to be fair, they are similar but they are not telling you

:26:42. > :26:48.the quality of the kicks, that is not in the stats, those are just

:26:49. > :26:52.numbers. Liam Finn's quality of kick has been better than Kevin Brown's.

:26:53. > :26:57.That is an area that he needs to improve on if Widnes are going to

:26:58. > :27:01.score points in the second half. A lovely tweet, poor conditions?

:27:02. > :27:07.Everyone has forgotten that this used to be a winter sport! We have

:27:08. > :27:11.not forgotten, it is really cold! It has been a frantic first half, a man

:27:12. > :27:16.who knew everything there was to know about winter rugby is going to

:27:17. > :27:25.take is down memory lane with his Challenge Cup Memories. 1961 cup

:27:26. > :27:32.final between St Helens and Wigan, some of the greatest names ever to

:27:33. > :27:41.grace the Challenge Cup final. One man sealed the fate of Wigan. And

:27:42. > :27:46.here's wing partner. Very much underrated. -- his partner. I

:27:47. > :27:50.actually went to school with him and few people realised how quick Kenny

:27:51. > :27:54.was, he was a Lancashire schools sprinter and if there was one man in

:27:55. > :28:09.the Saint Helen side who could keep up with Tom it was Kenny.

:28:10. > :28:18.COMMENTATOR: Behind the posts for as insatiable drive. With the

:28:19. > :28:24.conversion still to come, Saints were the winners 12-6. Just in case

:28:25. > :28:29.you think Ray has got his feet up, he hasn't because he is here working

:28:30. > :28:36.for BBC radio Merseyside. I think he is still awake! We have decided to

:28:37. > :28:41.set you a challenge, it is called the Challenge Cup Challenge and with

:28:42. > :28:44.the help of a player from each of the four semifinalists, here is John

:28:45. > :28:54.Wilkin to explain what you have to do. The Challenge Cup Kat --

:28:55. > :28:59.Challenge. A drop goal with your bad foot, and then hit the posts with a

:29:00. > :29:03.grubber kick. Whoever completes that in the quickest time will be the

:29:04. > :29:17.winner, it sounds easy but let's see. Super League's answer to

:29:18. > :29:24.Gollum. Jamie Ellis got here and our early to be practising. The pressure

:29:25. > :29:31.has got to him! Yes, that was great, Jamie. No pressure, lads, but

:29:32. > :29:44.he is a back rower. He is taking it easy. That was easy. He got a bit of

:29:45. > :29:53.a rush on. He looks composed, a bit slow, that was nice. He was too

:29:54. > :29:56.good. One man who does have his feet up is John Wilkin, he is

:29:57. > :30:01.recuperating at home at home have to a shoulder operation. All the best

:30:02. > :30:08.to John, he will be with us in the final. We will show you who won the

:30:09. > :30:15.challenge later. And you can take on the challenge yourself on the BBC

:30:16. > :30:21.sport website. You have the time yourselves, we will show a couple of

:30:22. > :30:23.people having a go during our coverage in the Challenge Cup final

:30:24. > :31:03.in a couple of weeks. They are building up for the second

:31:04. > :31:05.half. They are building up for the second

:31:06. > :31:15.half. What do Widnes need to do? I would

:31:16. > :31:24.like to see them force some errors. It is not an insurmountable task

:31:25. > :31:30.they have got. I think they need to score first if they are to go on and

:31:31. > :31:44.win. For a Castleford, more of the same? Yes, more of the same. The

:31:45. > :31:50.team that will win will be the team that has field position. If

:31:51. > :31:56.Castleford have that, it will be an easy run-in at the end. We want to

:31:57. > :32:04.hear your description of the game in four words. We will read out as many

:32:05. > :32:13.of your tweets as we can on the red button. The team is getting ready to

:32:14. > :32:21.come out for the second half. Let's hand you over to Brian Noble,

:32:22. > :32:27.Jonathan Davies and Dave Woods. 1980 6 cents Castleford last won at

:32:28. > :32:35.Wembley. 1984 since Widnes achieved that particular triumph. Two Joel

:32:36. > :32:49.Leyden tries on that day. -- Joel Leyden.

:32:50. > :33:00.They have not lifted that famous trophy for nearly 30 years in both

:33:01. > :33:02.cases. What can we expect from Widnes in the second half? What kind

:33:03. > :33:41.of reaction? Widnes have got to play the

:33:42. > :33:45.conditions. Play them solidly. Take it forward first of all before

:33:46. > :33:49.giving the half-backs the ball. The Castleford defence are just

:33:50. > :33:57.drifting. It is easy defence for them. Five tackles gone and

:33:58. > :34:28.Castleford having to kick from behind their own 30 metre line.

:34:29. > :34:43.It is up to Widnes, I think. They need to put pressure on

:34:44. > :34:58.Castleford's kick. If the ball does go dead from a long kick, change it.

:34:59. > :35:02.When you look at the National Rugby league in Australia, they had a look

:35:03. > :35:09.at that and they give you an extra player. They say if you kick the

:35:10. > :35:15.ball dead, you get seven players, innocence. That would be a good

:35:16. > :35:24.change. The other thing the Aussies have is a tap restart instead of a

:35:25. > :35:29.scrum. It enhances the skill level of the kicking. The ball is not out

:35:30. > :35:42.of play. Anywhere, we have got a semifinal to watch. -- anyway.

:35:43. > :35:53.It will be a tap back on the 20. I wonder what was said by the coaches

:35:54. > :35:58.at half-time? George Riley? Denis Betts told his Widnes players that

:35:59. > :36:03.they can play better. They need more composure, that was the key message

:36:04. > :36:08.at half-time. Complete the sets, finish it, don't lose it. Daryl

:36:09. > :36:16.Powell has told Cass to keep up with a game plan. -- Cas. He has warned

:36:17. > :36:20.his players to be ready for the opposition to fight back in the

:36:21. > :36:30.first ten to 15 minutes. The big message from Daryl Powell, keep your

:36:31. > :36:38.focus. I think Clark is injured. He is slow to his feet. He is being

:36:39. > :36:46.tracked by the physio. He gets back in line to make his place in

:36:47. > :36:51.defence. It is going to be a drop out underneath the stakes. It was

:36:52. > :36:56.perfectly flighted. Castleford complaining that it was caught in

:36:57. > :37:03.the in-goal area. The referee has got it spot on. Brian Noble would

:37:04. > :37:14.have got that spot on as well. I had it already nailed! It looks like

:37:15. > :37:22.hurricane Brenda has gone! Different conditions now. It was just the tail

:37:23. > :37:43.end of hurricane Brenda it is just Brenda! Bertha!

:37:44. > :37:54.Widnes need a score. They need to score next. This is decent position.

:37:55. > :38:02.Cahill dropped the ball. This is the advantage played for Cas. Poor

:38:03. > :38:06.execution. A better start for Widnes. They have had better field

:38:07. > :38:19.position at the start of the second half. Both sides taking a breather.

:38:20. > :38:24.Nearly five minutes of the second half played. It has been a draining

:38:25. > :38:27.encounter. Emotionally it would have taken a lot out of them before they

:38:28. > :38:32.even started here today. Physically it has been punishing because of the

:38:33. > :38:49.speed at which it seems to be played.

:38:50. > :39:03.Defensively Widnes are a lot sharper. The line speed is good.

:39:04. > :39:14.Castleford's mentality and methodology is quite simple.

:39:15. > :39:23.You cannot do that, Willy. The penalty is quickly taken. Daryl

:39:24. > :39:35.Clark with a good charging run downfield. Shenton had to be dealt

:39:36. > :39:44.with by Paddy Flynn. Flint talking high. It will be another penalty for

:39:45. > :39:56.Castleford. Two penalties back-to-back. It often leads to a

:39:57. > :40:15.try. Here comes Oliver Holmes. Setting the agenda.

:40:16. > :40:24.I think Miller has taken a knock-on the left-hand side. Widnes are a man

:40:25. > :40:31.down defensively. -- mellower. -- mellower.

:40:32. > :40:39.Jamie Owens! He has left them all grasping at thin air with his

:40:40. > :40:46.sensational footwork. Brilliant step in close to the line. Widnes

:40:47. > :40:52.absolutely hypnotised in defence. Castleford taking a giant step

:40:53. > :41:01.closer to a Wembley final. I think Jamie Ellis... Eamon O'Carroll was

:41:02. > :41:09.slow off the ground. Cannot quite get back onside. It will be

:41:10. > :41:13.interesting to see this. Some you get, some you don't. It is a

:41:14. > :41:24.penalty. Here is the next one on Shenton. That was judged to be a

:41:25. > :41:31.title as well. -- a high tackle. Ben Kavanagh had to try to fill the

:41:32. > :41:36.spot. Dave Allen tried to fill the space he thinks Ellis is going to

:41:37. > :41:46.run into. Ellis is smart. Fair play. A good try. Very similar to the

:41:47. > :42:01.first try. The easiest kick Marc Sneyd has had

:42:02. > :42:08.for a while. He missed his last couple from either touchline. A

:42:09. > :42:17.chance to take the lead to 20 points. Three scores behind, Widnes.

:42:18. > :42:27.Snead makes the difference. Four scores now. Widnes need to wake up

:42:28. > :42:34.quick or their Wembley dream is over. Castleford are taking it away

:42:35. > :42:38.from them. There is a huge hole behind Eamon O'Carroll. He is not

:42:39. > :42:43.looking at it. Dave Allen tried to fix the problem. Eamon O'Carroll was

:42:44. > :42:53.very slow. Dave Allen went into helping. Unfortunately, Ellis does

:42:54. > :43:03.the both of them. Throughout the game, I think Castleford have been

:43:04. > :43:09.good at dummy half. The minute they recognise Widnes are not quite set,

:43:10. > :43:13.they make plenty of metres. Denis Betts knows there is little he can

:43:14. > :43:18.do at this stage in terms of influencing the way this game is

:43:19. > :43:22.played. He can just hope his players have got the spirit and the

:43:23. > :43:32.wherewithal to get back in. It ain't game over just yet but it is getting

:43:33. > :44:01.close. Widnes still have a chance but they have to act quickly.

:44:02. > :44:14.Castleford are singing about Wembley.

:44:15. > :44:28.Widnes making decent progress. They are travelling well here. Three

:44:29. > :44:32.tackles in the bag. Stefan Marsh's footwork is very good at times and

:44:33. > :44:39.he gets a penalty. Just what Widnes needed at this stage. We have given

:44:40. > :44:45.Castleford all the attacking plaudits. But they bend their backs

:44:46. > :44:57.pretty well as well. They have defended well.

:44:58. > :45:06.Tickle lost that. There have been several times that Widnes will

:45:07. > :45:06.wonder what might have been had their handling being a little

:45:07. > :46:12.better. Little by way of advantage to work

:46:13. > :46:23.with for Widnes. No purchase to get themselves out of trouble.

:46:24. > :46:36.Widnes looking to bash their way down the middle again now.

:46:37. > :46:53.Castleford getting through the defensive duties. Castleford have to

:46:54. > :47:12.work hard. Lloyd White got right into him there. Name-macro have it.

:47:13. > :47:28.Crucially. -- Cas. Widnes showing no lack of enthusiasm.

:47:29. > :47:43.That is a great kick. Absolutely spectacular! He just leathered that.

:47:44. > :47:49.He was in his own 40. Great skill. It bounces one metre infield. Wind

:47:50. > :47:58.assisted as well. Hurricane Bertha or Brenda, whatever her name is!

:47:59. > :48:02.That means Castleford get head and feed 12 metres from the Widnes line

:48:03. > :48:08.and a chance to turn the screw good and proper. We have mentioned Daryl

:48:09. > :48:19.Clark a lot but Jamie Ellis has not been bad since coming on. Widnes

:48:20. > :48:39.desperately defending. They cannot concede again.

:48:40. > :48:52.Has it dislodged in the tackle? That was a brilliant take. Knock-on. Full

:48:53. > :48:56.credit to Widnes for holding out there. They were under immense

:48:57. > :49:08.pressure. A smart kick from Marc Sneyd. A clean catch. A great take

:49:09. > :49:18.and great defence from Paddy Flynn. Very good play. The Widnes end is

:49:19. > :49:30.very quiet at the moment. Subdued. Knowing that their side are slowly

:49:31. > :49:34.losing their way here. Desperately needing to find some kind of

:49:35. > :49:51.inspiration. Castleford dominating. They have played really well.

:49:52. > :50:00.The ball has gone to ground again. It is another handling mistake.

:50:01. > :50:11.Castleford get the ball back on their own terms. Clever played by

:50:12. > :50:23.Webster. Far too many mistakes now. Stopping the momentum for Windows.

:50:24. > :50:27.-- Widnes. There is an interesting conundrum here if Castleford do get

:50:28. > :50:39.through to the Challenge Cup final. What about those players on the

:50:40. > :50:46.sidelines, Justin Carney etc? That is a real tough one for a coach,

:50:47. > :50:52.isn't it, Brian Noble? You pick your best team and your best players.

:50:53. > :50:55.Exactly. Unless somebody who is not normally in the team has an

:50:56. > :50:59.outstanding effort that gives you a sleepless night. Generally at the

:51:00. > :51:07.start of the year you have an idea for your best team is. -- of what

:51:08. > :51:36.your best team is. Luke Dorn joining in the fun fur

:51:37. > :51:59.Castleford. Denied five metres away from the ultimate glory.

:52:00. > :52:06.Widnes have to keep the ball alive now. They cannot afford a

:52:07. > :52:25.Conservative approach. A sell-out crowd today. There was a

:52:26. > :52:28.suggestion of a bigger stadium. Widnes hoping to find a way back

:52:29. > :52:38.into this game. Time is not on their side.

:52:39. > :52:47.The Widnes fans finding their voice now. Some tub thumping going on from

:52:48. > :53:06.their end. Trying to inspire their heroes.

:53:07. > :53:23.Again, Widnes seem to be playing with a lot of width. They lack that

:53:24. > :53:28.penetration from the forwards. You need the props and the second rows

:53:29. > :53:34.to take the ball in. They have not been able to do that. I think the

:53:35. > :53:44.Cas forwards are just got that advantage over them. Castleford have

:53:45. > :53:55.had four extra sets in terms of the tackle count. As the boys said in

:53:56. > :54:00.the studio, the total number of metres, 800 for Widnes and more than

:54:01. > :54:10.1204 Castleford. That is the difference. The hard yards. -- more

:54:11. > :54:15.than 1200 four Castleford. The red button coming up at five o'clock.

:54:16. > :54:24.You know how it works. A couple of weeks and we are off to Wembley

:54:25. > :54:30.Stadium, August 23. They have got to run at Jamie Ellis. He doesn't know

:54:31. > :54:35.where he is. He has heard a bang on the head. He is struggling to get

:54:36. > :54:41.back in the line. They have got to target him. That is the sort of

:54:42. > :54:42.thing you have to target. Widnes 20 to burst their way through the

:54:43. > :55:01.middle. -- trying to. Widnes simply ran out of room on the

:55:02. > :55:06.near side. They were forced to go right because they have not got the

:55:07. > :55:14.penetration. That is what I was saying earlier. There has been no

:55:15. > :55:25.yardage in the middle. They have done it so well, the Cas defenders.

:55:26. > :55:27.Full marks to the Widnes fans. Of their seeds and bouncing up and

:55:28. > :55:35.down. You would think they were winning the Challenge Cup semifinal,

:55:36. > :55:40.not losing it. They have decided they are here for a party. They do

:55:41. > :55:44.not get to Challenge Cup semifinals very often, so dang it, as the

:55:45. > :55:50.Americans would say, they are going to celebrate it. They are helping to

:55:51. > :55:57.produce this wonderful atmosphere that we have got. Does that serve to

:55:58. > :56:29.inspire their side to the unlikeliest of comebacks?

:56:30. > :56:44.If things are going to happen for Widnes, they need to happen quickly.

:56:45. > :57:00.The Cas defence is so good. Widnes cannot find a way through. They are

:57:01. > :57:09.running into a wall of gold. They cannot find a front foot player.

:57:10. > :57:21.Containing everything that Widnes are throwing at them.

:57:22. > :57:28.If there is no way through, you have to have a good tactical kicking game

:57:29. > :57:33.where you can compete. That was a poor kick. Like Warrington

:57:34. > :57:40.yesterday, they had one opportunity with Monaghan where Warrington

:57:41. > :57:47.scored. That is what they have to do. Create an opportunity with a

:57:48. > :57:50.competitive kick. Widnes will be so disappointed in themselves because

:57:51. > :57:58.they know they have not given what they can give to this semifinal.

:57:59. > :58:00.They have not been allowed to. Daryl Clark is back on, in case you have

:58:01. > :58:33.not noticed. Owens, having caught the ball, could

:58:34. > :58:39.do nothing in the face of that steam roller that came charging before

:58:40. > :58:46.him. Well played Castleford. Great kick by Liam Finn. Webster knew

:58:47. > :58:58.exactly what was going on with Mariano Andujar winger, Dixon. --

:58:59. > :59:01.Mariano and Dixon. The drop out went straight out of play without

:59:02. > :59:07.bouncing. That is an element of the desperation that Widnes find

:59:08. > :59:12.themselves in. Kevin Brown was looking to try to balance it out.

:59:13. > :59:16.That would have given his side a chance to regain possession. He

:59:17. > :59:28.completely miscued. Castleford will go for goal. And easy to points. --

:59:29. > :59:36.and easy two points. Hats off to Castleford. They started the season

:59:37. > :59:40.like a house on fire and they have kept it up. A little bit of a dip

:59:41. > :59:45.mid season but they have fired it back up again. We always questioned

:59:46. > :59:51.if they could produce on the big stage. They went to Wigan in the

:59:52. > :59:55.quarterfinal and won. They come here in the semifinal, and as much as we

:59:56. > :00:00.are disappointed as neutrals, you have got to say that Castleford

:00:01. > :00:09.today, under Daryl Powell, have shown that they have pedigree. They

:00:10. > :00:14.have to resit pedigree. And by the way, this noise is the Widnes fans.

:00:15. > :00:20.Absolutely brilliant. It will be a good final. One thing about

:00:21. > :00:31.Castleford, they have got a strong spine through their side.

:00:32. > :00:44.as it has been at any point during the day. The noise is completely

:00:45. > :00:50.black-and-whites down to our left. The Castleford fans are celebrating.

:00:51. > :00:59.Widnes fans are just having a good time. That does not come off. But it

:01:00. > :01:05.is not gone by Massey. -- knocked on. I would like to see a couple of

:01:06. > :01:10.scores by Widnes. Just to reward this fanaticism. It is brilliant.

:01:11. > :01:16.Their team is so far behind, the cameras are going off. If you come

:01:17. > :01:21.to a rugby league matched dressed like that, you cannot take

:01:22. > :01:27.yourselves too seriously, can you? ! The roof might lift if Widnes score

:01:28. > :01:37.a try, even if it would be in a losing cause. Less than 20 away.

:01:38. > :01:42.Clarke adds dummy half. To his left is the Scotland international,

:01:43. > :01:52.Kavanagh. Incredible support from the Widnes fans. Close but no cigar.

:01:53. > :02:00.Danny Galea. Jon Clarke. Mellor. Brown. Allen was wrapped up the

:02:01. > :02:06.moment the ball came to his hands. Jon Clarke. Kevin Brown with the

:02:07. > :02:08.short pass. Has he got over? CHEERING

:02:09. > :02:24.Listen to the celebration. Go on, rest, give it. -- ref. Let's hear

:02:25. > :02:49.from Phil Bentham. He has two play by the rule book. -- has to play.

:02:50. > :03:02.It is not as clear on that one, we will go back to the initial shot. At

:03:03. > :03:03.any point, this ball could be down. There is definitely his arm under it

:03:04. > :03:23.the whole time. Yes, we are happy with the shot we

:03:24. > :03:32.have seen, no try, tackle ten metres out. Listen to this. Widnes fans

:03:33. > :03:41.booing and Castleford fans are cheering. Because he was held up,

:03:42. > :03:48.they will get another play. First tackle, ten metres out. Here it

:03:49. > :03:56.comes. Mellor, his kick takes a deflection. Castleford survived, and

:03:57. > :04:13.the scoreline remains at nil in the Widnes column. Here is Clark.

:04:14. > :04:17.Mariano has had a good game. One of my worries at the top of the game

:04:18. > :04:23.for the Castleford side was the lack of Hauraki and Millington. Mariano

:04:24. > :04:28.has played pretty well as well and it has not affected them that much.

:04:29. > :04:37.His dad is from Cape Verde, Frankie Mariano. He was born in Hull. Here

:04:38. > :04:48.is Finn. With the kick. It's kids too far. -- it's skidding. On five

:04:49. > :04:52.or six occasions Castleford have been content to back their defence

:04:53. > :04:57.and keep Widnes at this end of the field. He was aiming to find touch

:04:58. > :05:02.from the restart, but again it is a kick that he will not want to see

:05:03. > :05:07.again. Here comes Luke Dorn. What a difference 12 months has made for

:05:08. > :05:10.him, we mentioned the nightmare with London Broncos last year that he was

:05:11. > :05:18.involved with, a very different mood this afternoon. Here comes Shenton.

:05:19. > :05:34.They have been stronger, they have looked good athleticly. Sneyd. Finn.

:05:35. > :05:38.Dorn. Webster. Dixon. Webster. Try. Castleford are going to Wembley. We

:05:39. > :05:49.knew it before and everybody knows it now. Jake Webster! With the icing

:05:50. > :05:55.on a particularly tasty cake. How good does this sound, Castleford

:05:56. > :06:02.fans? You are on the way to Wembley! What an afternoon for them. It is

:06:03. > :06:09.all about keeping the ball alive. He does well with the inside ball,

:06:10. > :06:15.finding Jake Webster. As Brian said, they have just had that little bit

:06:16. > :06:22.extra. The dummy runners, holding the defence, and again it is Luke

:06:23. > :06:30.Dorn, the winger is sucked in. It is the inside ball, and he comes in,

:06:31. > :06:32.three on two. He causes the inside defender to drift across, the ball

:06:33. > :06:46.is alive, try. Great hands from the Castleford back

:06:47. > :06:50.line, and great awareness from Dixon to keep the ball alive for Webster,

:06:51. > :06:59.and he is a big boy, you will not stop him back close to the line. You

:07:00. > :07:06.can see how much it means. Yes indeed, it is their day. Whichever

:07:07. > :07:14.of these clubs got there, it would have meant so much. It is Castleford

:07:15. > :07:19.who are going, and boy, what does that mean to that town? ! Daryl

:07:20. > :07:29.Powell their coach was a Castleford fan as a kid. He is a man that has

:07:30. > :07:33.produced this resurrection of style down there which is culminating in a

:07:34. > :07:38.Wembley final appearance in a couple of weeks time and who knows, who

:07:39. > :07:45.knows, they could still win the double as well. Sneyd with the kick,

:07:46. > :07:49.four out of six, 28-0, there will be some partying going on in Castleford

:07:50. > :07:57.tonight. That was a nice backline move, a couple of dummy runners and

:07:58. > :08:01.that the past his speed creates so much opportunity, and the quality of

:08:02. > :08:10.passing as well, Web similes is Dixon and Dixon reciprocates. --

:08:11. > :08:13.Webster releases Dixon. They will be battling, they will not give up with

:08:14. > :08:28.a whimper, there are still eight minutes of the game to go. Galea

:08:29. > :08:35.takes it in. The Widnes supporters chanting. That has been the story of

:08:36. > :08:40.their day. Going wide again, there is no change from the Castleford

:08:41. > :08:45.defence, and they have been forced wide. They have been marshalled

:08:46. > :08:51.extremely well in the middle and outside. Arguably the most pleasing

:08:52. > :08:56.aspect for Daryl Powell is the defensive performance of the whole

:08:57. > :08:59.site today. It is going to be the first all Yorkshire Wembley final

:09:00. > :09:06.since Castleford were last there in 1986, Castleford against Hull

:09:07. > :09:13.Kingston Rovers. There has been an all Yorkshire final since, but not

:09:14. > :09:20.at Wembley. Here is Webster. They move up to the halfway line and it

:09:21. > :09:26.is picked up and they are galloping forward again. What does it feel

:09:27. > :09:29.like to be involved as a coach or player in the semifinal when you

:09:30. > :09:35.know you can enjoy the last seven minutes because you are already

:09:36. > :09:40.there? To be fair, you just want to hear the whistle, you want the game

:09:41. > :09:45.to be over, it is invigorating, it does not quite sinking, I am sure it

:09:46. > :09:51.is the same for the staff and the players, you want the final whistle

:09:52. > :09:57.to go. As a player, when you know you are going there, you just have

:09:58. > :10:06.to keep your focus. Play the game out. It is buried very enjoyable, --

:10:07. > :10:11.very very. It looks like a Castleford bench which had its

:10:12. > :10:18.emotions in check when we saw them, there. They have to play Warrington

:10:19. > :10:25.next Friday night, Castleford. Here comes Brown. Class from the

:10:26. > :10:30.stand-off, but his kick ricocheted off Dorn. It is picked up, though,

:10:31. > :10:43.by Stefan Marsh. He heads to the corner but it will be held up five

:10:44. > :10:55.short. First break. Dave Allen. Sending it back from where it came.

:10:56. > :11:10.A short pass. Mellor. Brown. He got the pass away. That is a SuperDrive.

:11:11. > :11:14.Listen to this! His emotions tell you how little it means in the

:11:15. > :11:17.context of the game but listen to the reaction from the Widnes fans,

:11:18. > :11:24.it is as if they have just booked their place in the final. Fantastic

:11:25. > :11:28.from Widnes, and fantastic from the fans, a reflection of the hard work

:11:29. > :11:31.which they have put in. They have not played the way they wanted to

:11:32. > :11:36.but this was a great break from Kevin Brown initially and the

:11:37. > :11:40.support play, getting the ball back to zero, and the ricochet sets of

:11:41. > :11:45.the opportunity on the left-hand side, Hanbury jumps into the line

:11:46. > :11:50.and he has the speed, Webster tries to stop the player coming off and it

:11:51. > :12:05.gives Palin is run into corner. Well done. -- it gives Owens. He attends

:12:06. > :12:09.the conversion. Booted in fairly high and it drops down on the right

:12:10. > :12:13.side of the rights. The Widnes fans again in at a celebration, the

:12:14. > :12:17.Vikings did not quite come here and plunder. They are still going to

:12:18. > :12:51.have a good time for all of that. There is the restart from Kirk

:12:52. > :12:56.Dixon. A good run back again. Jon Clarke rolling in and dummy half.

:12:57. > :13:01.Jonathan Davies, you have have the delight of choosing the man of the

:13:02. > :13:09.match today. What are your thoughts? It has been a great team effort. But

:13:10. > :13:14.I think that Clark has played well. Most of the team has played well for

:13:15. > :13:20.Castleford, but Lynch has been the standout forward. Luke Dorn's

:13:21. > :13:26.involvement has been very good. The Tetley's Challenge Cup man of the

:13:27. > :13:31.match is Luke Dorn. His influence from the back has been important,

:13:32. > :13:34.involved in almost all of the tries. Somebody must have told him last

:13:35. > :13:38.year when he walked down the pitch desolate having lost with London,

:13:39. > :13:43.there is always next year, but he would not have believed how things

:13:44. > :13:48.could turn around. Man of the match in a winning semifinal at the same

:13:49. > :13:53.ground 12 months later. It just shows you that you have two

:13:54. > :13:58.persevere, keep going. It can always turn around. That is an amazing

:13:59. > :14:03.turnaround, isn't it? The Castleford flag has been unfurled. We have got

:14:04. > :14:08.three minutes left to play here. Here is Jon Clarke at dummy half

:14:09. > :14:27.again. Kavanagh. Running it in. Clark. Isa off-loads it. It is

:14:28. > :14:29.dropped. He dived! He saw those 80 metres in front of him and

:14:30. > :14:39.thought... LAUGHTER One is enough. No heroics is needed.

:14:40. > :14:41.He will save it for another day. I am sure he had every intention but

:14:42. > :15:00.he was frustrated. Webster. Not the biggest of towns,

:15:01. > :15:08.Castleford. A shop owner, a bar owner, do not bother opening,

:15:09. > :15:13.because the entire town will empty and head down the M1 for a big

:15:14. > :15:22.Wembley day out against... Well, they have always been the rivals

:15:23. > :15:28.across the road, Leeds, and against Castleford, that will be a cracker.

:15:29. > :15:33.The crowd has Castleford, that will be a cracker.

:15:34. > :15:39.sides, haven't they? I have never seen so many naked men! Gerrard

:15:40. > :15:44.tries to offload it but it looks as though it was forward. The referee

:15:45. > :15:49.is in an uncharitable mood. Richard Silverwood says that it was. Let me

:15:50. > :16:00.rephrase that, men with their shirts off. Seminaked. That is just as bad.

:16:01. > :16:05.They are hurting, hurting badly, not just physically but mentally as well

:16:06. > :16:09.because they had a big chance today, more about the story that Daryl

:16:10. > :16:13.Powell is writing at Castleford, he has change the culture, this club

:16:14. > :16:17.looked as though it was going nowhere 18 months ago, it looked as

:16:18. > :16:25.though it was simply heading out of existence, and he has change the

:16:26. > :16:29.culture. -- changed it. He got everyone into the way he wanted them

:16:30. > :16:36.and what aids accessible story that is unfolding. Daryl Powell, he was a

:16:37. > :16:42.hard player, a disciplined player. A very talented player. He saw the

:16:43. > :16:46.game well. He has done exceptionally well. But it has been a tough road

:16:47. > :16:58.into coaching for him. I am glad he has done well. Back in the day they

:16:59. > :17:03.referred to him as classy Cas, and this side are putting the class back

:17:04. > :17:08.in Cas. They are going to Wembley for a final against Leeds, they have

:17:09. > :17:14.put on H early professional, outstanding performance here today

:17:15. > :17:19.to win this one x 28-6. -- they have put on a really professional

:17:20. > :17:24.performance. Widnes have played their part in making this a

:17:25. > :17:35.memorable occasion. -- they have won this one. Based on a good solid

:17:36. > :17:39.defence. They were clinical. The half-backs and the forwards laid the

:17:40. > :17:44.platform with the half-backs chipping in and then Dorn chipped in

:17:45. > :17:49.to create a lot of tries for the extra man. A solid performance. For

:17:50. > :17:52.Widnes now, they have two build on their Challenge Cup run, they are in

:17:53. > :17:59.the top eight and they have to stay there. That would be a great

:18:00. > :18:05.achievement for them. Castleford - Leeds in the final, that will be a

:18:06. > :18:10.great final, a Yorkshire final. Let's hear from the man of the

:18:11. > :18:13.match, 12 months ago his heart would have been breaking but today it is

:18:14. > :18:18.bursting with pleasure and pride, Luke Dorn. What a difference a year

:18:19. > :18:24.makes, how good does that feel, being off to Wembley? It is

:18:25. > :18:30.indescribable, really, I never thought I would get another chance.

:18:31. > :18:35.Coming here, giving me belief back in my game, the guys were amazing.

:18:36. > :18:38.How good was that dominant performance? We spoke all week about

:18:39. > :18:42.how good they were and what we needed to do, we had a really

:18:43. > :18:47.specific game plan and we came out and executed it is near enough to

:18:48. > :18:50.perfection. What an atmosphere. You told me that even the rain could not

:18:51. > :18:57.take away your excitement. What was it like? It was fantastic, both sets

:18:58. > :19:02.of fans, from the get go. Our fans were unbelievable. I feel as though

:19:03. > :19:06.I was born and raised in Castleford, the way they treat me. They are the

:19:07. > :19:13.best in the world. There were quite a few big performances, a word on

:19:14. > :19:17.this guy as well? Darrel is as good a player as there is. I would not

:19:18. > :19:23.swap him for anyone in any competition in the world, he can

:19:24. > :19:27.change the game, any time I am half a metre away from him, he is the

:19:28. > :19:36.best man on the field. Go and enjoy it. Daryl Clark, but you got the

:19:37. > :19:44.ball rolling, that was quite an 80 minutes? It was an outstanding

:19:45. > :19:49.effort from all of the boys today. We knew we had a few players out. We

:19:50. > :19:54.knew that we had enough to get victory today. As a young fan

:19:55. > :19:58.growing up, watching players at Wembley, you are now going there to

:19:59. > :20:04.play in the Challenge Cup final? How does that feel? It makes it special,

:20:05. > :20:10.doing it with my home-town club, I will never forget it. Both bands

:20:11. > :20:15.were unbelievable, and they were only here for the semifinal. They

:20:16. > :20:21.gave us a lift, turning out in numbers. We will leave you to go

:20:22. > :20:26.over there and enjoy it. Well done. Let's bring in the coach, Daryl

:20:27. > :20:33.Powell, I'm sure you don't care, but how does this feel for you, beating

:20:34. > :20:40.Widnes, and leading Castleford to Wembley? We have got a game left

:20:41. > :20:46.now, we have got Leeds in the final, it will be a Yorkshire final

:20:47. > :20:50.and I am looking forward to it. The celebrations behind our unreal, the

:20:51. > :20:56.fans on the pitch, off the pitch, singing and dancing. You have only

:20:57. > :21:00.one the semifinal? Yes, it has been a great atmosphere but Widnes have

:21:01. > :21:05.been superb this year. We have just got over the top, couple of times

:21:06. > :21:12.this year. A fantastic effort from the boys. We're looking forward to

:21:13. > :21:17.the final. It is an all Yorkshire final, as a former Leeds man, what

:21:18. > :21:21.is that going to be like? It is massive, I have spent time at

:21:22. > :21:28.Leeds, this is the dream final. Thank you for joining us. What a

:21:29. > :21:33.performance from Castleford, I think you picked out just one error in the

:21:34. > :21:38.second half, they were clinical. They absolutely deserved it, Widnes

:21:39. > :21:42.did not played particularly poorly, but Cas were outstanding. In all

:21:43. > :21:46.areas of the game, they kicked well, defended well, used the ball well.

:21:47. > :21:52.They thoroughly deserved to get through to the final. They dominated

:21:53. > :22:00.the game pretty much from start to finish? They were ruthless, Widnes

:22:01. > :22:03.got them selves back in, but it was not like Castleford to let them

:22:04. > :22:10.play, they kept them at arm's-length, they made a few errors

:22:11. > :22:14.and it just was not their day. Brian, you were enjoying the

:22:15. > :22:21.commentary, Castleford is a team of stars, they are a real team? They

:22:22. > :22:25.have plenty of stars, 20 of men that can make a difference to the team.

:22:26. > :22:30.Luke Dorn was the man of the match today but it could have gone to

:22:31. > :22:36.Clark all Lynch. He was outstanding. It could have gone to Mariano with

:22:37. > :22:45.all of his brakes. Sneyd played well and Finn kicked well. The team

:22:46. > :22:49.effort was there for all to see. They have plenty of match-winning

:22:50. > :22:53.players. The encouraging thing was the way they defended, they are a

:22:54. > :22:58.vigorous defensive team. You are only as strong as your weakest link

:22:59. > :23:04.and everybody needs to perform well. Castleford played exceptionally

:23:05. > :23:08.well, every player. We talked about Daryl Clark and he was influential

:23:09. > :23:14.but Jamie Ellis had a great run with the first try and he was very

:23:15. > :23:17.influential throughout? He was absolutely fantastic and this was a

:23:18. > :23:20.massive moment, off the back of this. The Widnes forwards,

:23:21. > :23:26.communication at the back, they do not get their numbers right. Lost in

:23:27. > :23:29.no man's land really, and defending on the outside, he really panics and

:23:30. > :23:36.he has two come in to help his player out. He dives over for a

:23:37. > :23:41.great drive. Ellis came in and played exceptionally well, he was

:23:42. > :23:44.great. We are going to see how well he actually kicks