10/08/2014 Rugby League: Challenge Cup

Welcome to Leigh Sports Village which is a sell-out for this second

Challenge Cup semifinal between Castleford and Widnes. The fans are

filing in and the sun is almost shining despite heavy rain that we

have had earlier. The teams have arrived as well. Castleford had a

tricky trip over the M 62, there was an asking crash which has delayed

them. They are here. -- a nasty crash. They are headed into the

sanctuary of the dressing rooms and the peace and quiet. Daryl Powell

the code is shaking hands with well-wishers, getting their best

wishes. -- coach. Both of these sides are having their best season

for many years, bringing back memories of the glory days.

So, who will join the Leeds Rhinos, they booked their place with victory

over Warrington yesterday. Widnes against Castleford, kick off in

about 25 minutes time. Remember coming you can contact us throughout

the afternoon with any questions, let us no on social media. With us

we have a man who has already booked his place at Wembley, Leeds Rhinos'

Jamie Peacock. Congratulations. Earl Crabtree from the Huddersfield

Giants and Brian Noble. Jamie, battered and bruised, but it is

worth it when you are going to Wembley? Definitely. I am elated. As

we say in Yorkshire, I am chuffed to bits. I cannot wait to go to

Wembley. We executed the game plan, and we will see a great try from

Ryan Hall, this was world class, he is the 's best winger. -- he is the

world 's best. This was a great pass from O'Brien to Ryan Hall, on the

back of executing a game plan given to us by Brian Magee Dermott and we

played exceptionally well. Joel Monaghan was an excellent aerial

threat. We kept Warrington at arms length in boxing terms, we were

jabbing them out the way. We kept ourselves out in front. They kept

coming back at you. They are a quality side, beaten in the

semifinal last year by Hull and they wanted to get back to Wembley but so

did we and we had the desire as well. Now we will see a breakaway

try from Tom Briscoe and when this went over, even though it was

panicked at the end, going back to Wembley, go on, Tom, get under the

posts. A wonderful bit of skill from him come in full flow, just the

handoff. He is an exceptionally fast player. Wesley scored a fluky drive.

We held them in the end. You saw at the final whistle how much it means

to have another go at the Challenge Cup. We wanted to get back and win.

Credit to the Warrington players and coaches. At the end of the game,

they always does the best of luck and that takes a lot. -- they all

wish to us. The atmosphere is building here. You can already feel

it. It is bouncing. I am trying to concentrate on JP. It is a brilliant

atmosphere and everyone is looking forward to this afternoon. We

thought it would be raining but fingers crossed, it is drive the

moment and that will be good for both sides. We thought the rain

would be a leveller, but the dry spell has come from nowhere, a bit

like these teams coming from nowhere to his apprise everybody. -- from

nowhere to surprise everybody. They are attacking and they will try to

score from every play. Which side will win today? I will go with the

best disciplined. The Super League table does not lie. 32 points, and

they thoroughly deserved to be in fourth. They qualified for the Super

League play-offs this year. That is a remarkable achievement from both

clubs. The pundits did not give them as much of a chance as bad. I can

barely hear myself speak as the Widnes Vikings come out. It is going

to be fantastic. They are enjoying the occasion. Going back to

Castleford, if people did not think they were the real deal, the victory

over Wigan to get them to the semifinal confirmed that they are.

Yes, they showed a lot of guile that day. And we spoke about their

kicking game not being the greatest, but Wigan came up with a lot, to be

fair. Castleford won the game with their defence, they defended their

try line for 20 minutes of Wigan pressure. They went on to win and it

was huge that the club. They must be one of the favourites for both

pieces of silverware this year. They played well in the rain, don't

forget. That was wet. I still think we will get some rain today, they

will prepare for a wet weather game and Widnes will rely on their

kicking game in the wet weather. It may be massively important for both

teams. When you have to go back to 1992 that the last time as Alford

were at Wembley, they were beaten a year later, and it was the turn of

Widnes to try to topple Wigan. You were in the side, what are your

memories? Wigan were the side that beat Cas the year before.

Disappointing, very disappointing to get to Wembley and then losing in

the final. I had already lost in the semifinal. It is not a great place

to lose, but today's game is all about getting there and thinking

about the result. After today. It is a great place to go. When I started

playing rugby league I wanted to play at Wembley in the Challenge Cup

final. Seeing them coming back over the past few years and watching them

grow and really develop? Yes, it was sad to see their decline. But

sometimes, you have to go down a couple of levels to find out how

good you are, they went into administration. Off the field and on

the field they have got themselves back in a position to be compared to

have which is fantastic. It is great to see Castleford back at a great

club, Dennis Betts and Powell, I have played with them and against

them at club level and for me, it is a trip down memory lane. And

obviously, you know, my heart is with Widnes and I would like to see

them win. It is great to see these two clubs, and it means a lot to

both sets of fans, and it would be nice to see a new name going to

Wembley for a change. It will. Jonathan is of course part of the

commentary team. Arguably the coach Daryl Powell has been the star, he

has done a fantastic job since taking over midway through last

season. Another Darryl is stealing the headlines on the pitch, Daryl

Clark. Daryl Powell, Castleford Tigers head coach. Daryl Clark,

hooker, Castleford Tigers. He has the bit and sure to be the best

hooker in the world. He has been awesome since he came in. I think

everybody recognises him as one of the best players in the competition,

not just for the Tigers. I think he has improved again this year. His

athletic ability is outstanding. His speed off the mark has been

incredible and obviously he has a knife and opening. He has been good

for me individually. -- and an eye. What a fabulous try for Daryl Clark.

It has been down and out for us but turning it around has been special.

I thought we could be in the top four, and the semifinals with the

potential to play in the final, but as you see your players grow and

develop, and the bond that they build with each other as a unit, it

has been incredible. That's try confirms Castleford a place in the

semifinals! For the fans it is huge. The Challenge Cup is a massive

part of Castleford Tigers and its history and we are always connecting

the history to the current team, all the way through the year we have

been doing that. It is many years since they have been to Wembley, and

I have been supporting them from a young age. Previous form goes out

the window and it is about whoever turns up on the day. It is about

putting down a new layer of history and marking ourselves as a team

which can be revered along with the other outstanding teams which have

done special things. A huge roar from Castleford 's contingent,

20,000 have travelled down from the town. Those people they left back in

Castleford will be dancing in the streets. Hopefully this year will be

my time to do something special. What is it that makes this young man

so special. He has a scary amount of speed, picking it up at the me half

and he is one of those players who you have to do your homework on

stopping him, the best way is to slow down the ruck as much as

possible so that he does not get away from you. 22 clean breaks tells

you the story, the last time they played, he scored a hat-trick. If

Widnes are going to win they will have to deal with his blistering

pace. Daryl Powell tells me that he is as fast as anyone, that is what

makes him such a threat in the middle. We have heard about him,

take us through the rest of the team. They have a talented line-up

starting with the back three. Luke Dorn has scored 14 tries this

season. James Clare has two replace the suspended Carney. -- he has to.

Here is the job for the halves. Most trite assists and most points in the

game, Widnes have the best engine. Their kicking game will be crucial

for the Tigers. Lynch is the linchpin. We have talked about the

amount of breaks he makes, incredible strength. Craig Huby is

in the best form of his career. The back three had a huge job replacing

Hauraki. He is also suspended. Frankie Mariano has that task.

Coming from the bench, Scott Wheeldon in the front row, playing

at London Broncos last year. Vastly experienced, Gareth Carvell has been

to Wembley with Warrington, he is well travelled. Assisted by Lee

Jewitt. So that is the line-up, what is the game plan? It has been

raining in the North of England all morning but the sun has poked its

head out and it has dried up the field. One of the keys were

Castleford this year has been the forward pack. Taking the ball up,

Carvell, the International, and Lee Jewitt has come into his own. Just

making a tackle is Batman Craig Huby. He has a big game and he has

been looking after himself at the moment. Coming into his own. -- that

man. He will cause Widnes a lot of trouble this afternoon. If the

forwards do their job right it will be Mark, that guy, coming up with

the tries. He is in the form of his career. He will move to Hull FC next

year but when they get it right it goes through players like Marc

Sneyd, keep your eye on him, he is definitely one to watch. Bell

How much are they going to miss those players? They will massively.

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

the ruck speed really quickly. He has also come into his own.

Off-loading well. He has been fantastic this year. As a coach, you

would be spitting tacks saying that but they need to get on with it. For

me, they should not be doing stuff like that. There was no malice, but

you do not do stuff like that. They will miss him today, that's for sure

but Daryl Powell as the vast that it is about the squad, the 25 man

squad, and it will be tested today. Millington will be a bad loss, he

has a big presence and they will miss him and Hauraki on the fringes

because Castleford have a passing game out there, most of their

players pass well and make good decisions. I will reinforce what JP

says, but' we have heard from Daryl Powell, let's hear from the Widnes

boss Dennis Betts. -- JP says... You said you would have a pretty good

nights sleep, how did you sleep? Pretty good. I had a nice night. You

know better than anyone what it is like to get to Wembley as a player,

what are these moments like in the semifinal? It is important not to be

afraid of the atmosphere, do not be afraid of the experience. Just

embrace it. Enjoy it. Go out and understand what your job is and that

is what we have been doing so far this year. It is about embracing the

experience and going on and having composure and moving forward. Do you

talk about their history and what an opportunity it is or is that

something through another time? Those things are done by people

around you in the week. When you are around the group it is about our own

history and our own fans and ourselves, this is about today and

what it means to each individual player, and then we can open up to

everybody else about how important it is to them, but the players are

out there enjoying it and they will have two really embraced the

experience. Thank you for joining us. Dennis was saying that he was

fortunate that he had a full strength squad. Take us through the

line-up. 14 tries for Rhys Hanbury this season. 13 from 22. The centre

include Christine, in his third stint with the club. Marsh is a

former Wigan player. I cannot emphasise too much how Kevin Brown

is important to the team. Brown is the go to play. Jon Clarke is vastly

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

Hep Cahill is massive, there go to man. Danny Galea and Danny Tickle

himself has plenty of experience in the Challenge Cup to help his team.

Allen and O'Carroll are former Wigan products. They can come off the

bench. And also Lloyd White, the Welsh man, he will be incisive

around the halves. Willie Isa, the Samoan international, equally at

home in the centre or the back row. Widnes have been warming up in front

of their fans. We spoke about the Castleford forwards and it will be

these guys were Widnes who will have to do a job, Hep Cahill. He is one

player that Brian Noble says you will have to keep an eye on. He is a

loose forward with good playing ability and good footwork. Outside

also is Jon Clarke, old Father Time of the club. You can see him

directing the play and that is what makes him especial player. Going to

the breakdown and about to release the ball. Playing it to Kevin Brown,

that is what they will try to do to score a try. Jon can I have a word?

How have your preparations gone? As you know, the semifinals is about

turning up on the day. Things have been going well. What would it mean

to you and the fans to get a win today? We have put a big emphasis on

the Challenge Cup this year so hopefully we can turn up today.

Thank you for joining us. There is no doubting who the star man is the

Widnes, there were a few raised eyebrows when Kevin Brown joined

from Huddersfield Giants, but at a couple of injury hit seasons he has

been in sparkling form. -- after a couple.

Coming to Widnes, on the outside of it it was strange, winning so much

praise for being the captain of a fantastic Huddersfield side but

talking to Dennis Betts and Steve O'Connor, the ambition they had and

the way they were going to go about it and the improvements they were

going to make, that sold it to me. And everything they said they had

done, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I

love being here at this club and I am happy about how it is going. I

remember going to watch at Wembley, watching Martin go around Tate. I

was dreaming one day that it could be me. Playing out there with my

mates, doing something that I love on the biggest possible stage. I had

a great day in 2004, I was only 18. It was a massive game, Wigan versus

Saints. We got beaten and I remember having a try disallowed. And

thinking that my world had ended after that game. We went back in

2009, and Paul Jackson, my mate, my prop forward colleague,

There was a chance that we could get back there and I'm determined to

give it everything I can to get there again. If you'd have said to

Castleford and Widnes that they would both be in the top eight and

semifinal at this stage, with four Super League games to go, you would

probably snatch their hands off, but that is how it felt. It is great for

the game to have something different, especially when I am

playing for Widnes. Giving the fans something to cheer about in the New

Year, and they have had some dark days in the championship and the

lower parts of the Super League, and not having these big days out, and

there are 2500 people in fancy dress turning up to the game so it will a

great occasion, and getting to the final would mean everything for the

town and the club. So, how does he match up against Liam Finn? He is

quite an achiever, but they have very similar stats. Try assists. The

number of passes is very similar. They are the go to players.

Everybody is having a crack at Liam Finn, doing double the amount of

tackles. I cannot overemphasise how much the kicking game will be

important for both sides. The kicking game of Kevin Brown is

better than that of Liam Finn. Having talked about the sunshine,

the rain is starting to come down. The clouds are getting darker. Thank

you for holding the umbrella. You played with him at Huddersfield, why

is Kevin Brown so special? It is his commitment. Dennis Betts is the

coach. Kevin Brown will have a lot of impact on what goes on on the

field. He is a smart worker. I have a lot of respect for him. I look

back and I think it is probably the right decision for him and he has

gone on to be so successful and he is doing so well. He is pivotal

today for Widnes. He is key, playing in lots of big games and he will

touch the ball more than anyone. If he plays well they will have a

chance of winning because of his presence. Big players have that

presence and it allows them to attract players. We see another

example of this here. His ability to track defenders. The London player

rushes out because he is worried about his running threat and he puts

somebody through the hole. He is an excellent player who makes all of

the right decisions, we talked about Clarke being a Man of Steel, but so

could he, because he organises well, tells players where to go, herding

players around, and he is a good stand-off. He makes it look like he

will hit the person at the front, and that is what the Castleford

players think but he goes out the back. More often than not he makes

the right decision as a stand-off, whether to run, kick or pass. He

gets away there, giving it to the fallback Rhys Hanbury. He has pace

to burn. You can see him there, scoring in the corner. He will be

the key today. Will he be the kind of character cheering them on or

will he be quiet at this stage? A bit of both, you can tell that he is

feeling nervous now, that is how much he thinks about the game and

how much it means to him but he will be getting the team motivated,

telling them what to do and reminding the side what they need to

do to win. He will go around doing the handshakes now, this is what

everyone does before the game. Overall he will be quieter than

usual. Castleford are also a tight-knit group. Both teams are

very similar in this respect, they have the whole community behind them

and two terrific coaches and backroom staff to die for. They are

clearly committed to each other and this is a good site to see. What was

it like for you guys, what are these final moments like? You cannot wait

to get out there, to be honest. You have prepared all week, they will

feel as though they are ready to play. The start is vital, Widnes

have had a poor start in games throughout the season, conceding

twice as many tries as Castleford in the opening ten minutes and Widnes

will need to get that right. But Castleford will need to start well

as well. You cannot overemphasise the atmosphere, they have played at

really good grounds but this is something special? They will have to

have prepared well because they will not hear half of the calls when it

is this noisy, again, to reiterate what JP was saying, the weather will

come, kicking early will be vital as well. It is important in relation to

Widnes not starting well, if it is 0-0 after 20 minutes Widnes will be

the happier. How much do they look to the experience of Shenton when

you have young players, how important is that in the line-up?

They can add a lot to the team, controlling the middle, the linchpin

is that we talked about before, they need to take control. Shenton is out

wide and he will not be able to control what is happening in the

middle, the kickers have to put it into the corners, and get some good

line speed to put pressure on. Having a leader during a big game,

you have to be relaxed and focused, your body language is infectious and

it affects everyone so it is important to remain calm but

focused. Castleford came out and then it is important to remain calm

but focused. Castleford came out and minute or two before Widnes. I think

they are both ready to play. We get carried away, the pundits, saying,

what is happening, but I am sure both teams are ready to play. Over

to the commentary box to join Dave Woods and Jonathan Davies. Let's get

the teams out there, they will be hit by the crowds roar when they get

out. CHEERING COMMENTATOR: Well, it is a number

leave a ball atmosphere in here today. Take a deep breath now, you

might not get another chance. There is an emotional quality to the

atmosphere here, two teams and sets of fans who simply do not get enough

chances to sample this kind of occasion, and they are determined to

make the most of it today. This is the way that they are lining up,

Widnes, bringing back Gerrard into the starting 13. Watch out for

Marsh. And the thrill factor provided by Hanbury and Mellor.

Castleford at missing three key players. Hauraki and Justin Carney,

the winger, but they still have plenty about them. Daryl Clark could

have a major influence depending on how well the big fellas around him

get on this afternoon. Richard Silverwood is the referee today.

This is not the kind of chance that comes around every year for either

of these two clubs, and entire generation has been born and raised

since either of these tasted Wembley glory. For one of them today, this

will be magical. It is how you handle the emotion of a big

occasion. It means everything to these fans to get to Wembley. It is

great to see Warrington and Leeds and Wigan, but there are two new

name is seeking glory today. They have both shown huge improvement. It

is a great stage for these sides, two very good clubs.

There is blood there already. I think the weather has affected the

mindset for this game. It has been very wet. It is going to rain during

the match. The kicking game is going to be absolutely crucial. The

Castleford pack is very big and impressive. Whoever defends best

will win this game today. Liam Finn was playing on this ground as the

Championship player 12 months ago with Featherstone Rovers in front of

a couple of thousand people. Nothing like the occasion we have got here

today. He has been one of the many success stories that Castleford and

Wigan this year. Whoever gets to Wembley from here, it is a fairy

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

compete for the ball. You have to complete the sets and get good kicks

in. Brian Noble, early thoughts? A reflection on the conditions. The

ground is in magnificent condition. There cannot be better condition for

playing football. Both teams will try to do that. These two teams will

feel each other out early on. On the state of the ground, they played a

big game here on Friday night. Well done to the home see -- the home

team, who secured the Championship. It was a party night on Friday

night. I agree with Brian. The pitch is absolutely immaculate. They had

an Elton John concert on here a couple of months ago, which I don't

think health office. -- helped matters.

Michael Shenton has been to refit in his leadership this year. Here comes

the final tackle. It is a nervous occasion. Both sides trying to

settle themselves. A good Castleford Chase. I think it is a ploy from

Castleford. They are having an arm wrestle at the moment.

It is Castleford's turned to do the really tough stuff. -- turn. Daryl

Clark gets the break. Here comes Liam Finn. He is running away. There

is a collision in the background but Liam Finn touches down! The referee

is happy with it! Castleford get the opening try. Liam Finn the scorer. A

pass that ripped apart the Widnes defence. First blood to Castleford

Tigers. We mentioned Daryl Clark before the game. The standout

player. He has been in brilliant form. One guy on the floor, one

marker, he is away. Bounces off the tackle, gets the off-load. And it is

an easy run-in for Finn. Kevin Brown was playing for the

penalty. He was not going to get to Liam Finn. I hate to put pressure on

young players, but potentially he could be one of the stories of not

only Super League, but the game itself. Daryl Clark is a terrific

player. We highlighted him at the top of the show and he showed why.

He is only 21 now. He has been a regular for three years. He is a

natural player. Watches kicking style, Marc Sneyd. -- watches

kicking style. Over it goes. 6-0, Castleford lay. He bombs the

tackle, he off-loads, great support. Luke Dorn is like the add-on piece

of McCann to Daryl Clark. Wherever he goes, he follows him. -- Meccano.

The perfect start for Daryl Powell and his coaching staff.

Widnes have got to do this. They do switch off sometimes, defensively.

One lapse in concentration and that man Daryl Clark is there and you get

punished for it. That is what semifinal football is all about.

They should have known from the league game. Denis Betts is smart

enough to have talked about that. It is all right talking about it,

somebody has to do about it. He is a massive influence in these early

stages. You have to give credit to people like Lynch, who laid that

platform for him. -- Lynch and Ruby. Some semifinal nerves there. Oh,

dear. He had a little luck there. He just looked up. You have to catch it

before you go anywhere. If he had had his elbows together...

He is in to score the try, I think! Two tries in the opening ten

minutes. And Daryl Clark is at the heart of both of them. Either as

creator or scorer. And Castleford already lead by 10-0. Widnes have to

get on with it. They need to defend this scrum play. Daryl Clark was too

big and strong from there. It was a great dummy -- dummy run first of

all. He holds the defence. Oliver Holmes does the run. Pulls him in.

He is on the outside for a try. What a start for a Castleford. What about

Widnes? Where do they go from here? The other end of the field is the

obvious answer. How do they pick themselves up? They are the worst

starting team in the Super League. They are used to being in this

position. I do not think it will faze them. Here comes Marc Sneyd

again with that unusual style of his. A little glance over the

shoulder. The Widnes fans doing their best to put him off. He didn't

quite get enough on the hook. Just watched the dummy run. Number 16. He

just ties the defender in. Clever run. Very well executed. You have

also give -- got to give credit to Shenton. (space for Daryl Clark.

Very good play. George, news from the touchline? A few moments ago

Denis Betts reacted to the try by leaping to his feet. He was very

animated. Barking instructions down to the bench.

Castleford just rolling on. They have grasped the opportunity. They

have come out firing right from the start. That shows how wet it is. It

was a lovely kick added just skipped off the ground. Widnes have got to

get field position and make Castleford make a mistake. They have

got to keep on going, keep their patients and get their kicking game

going. -- stay patient. That is free from four kicks that

they have kicked dead. It is not putting Castleford under pressure.

They have to keep more of the balls in play. Widnes play on a synthetic

pitch. That kills the bounce. Now there is grass and it is wet, it is

going to skip. Keep it in the field of play. Make Castleford run the

ball out. The worrying thing for me for Windows is they have got too

many players in and around the ruck. -- Widnes.

Let's hear from Robbie Hunter Paul. If you watched the game yesterday

and use saw the discipline that Leeds showed in the opening 20

minutes of the game, we are seeing a reflection of that from Castleford

today. They have been ruthless. They are making Widnes deal with these

wet conditions. The only difference between yesterday and today is it is

pouring down with rain and Castleford have been able to turn

that relentless pressure into points. You cannot get away with

that! Another kick aimed for a manner that

has Clark scrambling back. A better cake. -- kick. He was offside. He

has got to check that run. Let's see if he was offside. Only just. He has

got to hold the run. Little things make huge differences. That is a big

one for me. 14 minutes in and you are trying to get a hold on the

game. Castleford are playing very simply.

The only thing that is stopping them from a path -- perfect set by the

Port kicks at the end. -- poor kicks.

Owens has not dealt with that one either! Dixon claims a try. It is

only a claim because the referee wants to have a look at it again.

Let's hear from the video referee. I'm just going to check onside,

offside first. Then check it was a knock-on by Castleford. It looks

like everybody on the right-hand side is onside. Role that through,

please. It is just the challenge in the air. Whose hand does it touch?

That hits Webster's hand and travels towards the Widnes line. It is no

try. The Castleford fans, because they

saw be grounding, thought it was a try. They will get some shock year.

The Widnes fans celebrating. 15 minutes played. Kirk Dixon is denied

what would have been a third Castleford try. That was a better

kick. Your centres and your winners can get to the ball. -- wingers. A

big puff of fresh air from Widnes. That was a huge relief. That does

not look very good. Craig Huby is in pain. It looks like he has

dislocated something. You know from the reactions of the players if it

is serious or not. He will be devastated if he has to leave the

scene here, Craig Huby. Castleford man and boy. His left arm was

caught. That does not look very good. Danny Tickle in the middle for

Widnes, applauding Craig Huby. That was a sporting gesture. It was

purely accidental from his own player, really. Craig Huby has been

awesome for this Castleford team this year. He has been at the centre

of most of the things they have done. That is a big loss early in

the game. It is a big loss. Widnes beginning to prosper. Cahill

knocked on. Widnes are complaining it was a steal. Very good attacking.

That was a good tackle. Do not forget, by the way, we go on

a lot longer than just the match today.

Castleford and Widnes literally battling at the moment. Widnes are

trying to stop the Castleford momentum.

The referee having a word with his touch judge. Was it that bad? No. It

does not need a lecture. You have got him around the neck. I don't

need you coming in a costing people. -- accosting. The problem for Widnes

now is that the tackle gives Castleford good field position again

from which to attack. Marc Sneyd has found touch. Let's get the latest on

the injury to Craig Huby. A dislocated left elbow. He is the

kind of player who does not react to injury. His face was a mask of pain.

The doctor has said it is a dislocation of the elbow. He is not

coming back. Great play from Duque -- Luke Dorn

under pressure. Ten metres away. Daryl Clark is at

dummy half. It comes back to the middle.

A lovely kick. Well weighted. Just short of the line. Talking of Luke

Dorn, I reckon he got a shiver down the spine when he came here today.

He was involved in the London side that played here last year. One of

the most one-sided semifinals we have seen since Brian Noble was

running around. When was that, 1971? Do not take me back to the dark

places! Andy Lynch has had a good season. A

very good season. Castleford are in sprightly form.

Paddy Flynn can clear his lines very effectively. Very well defended

Widnes. It is reminiscent what Leeds were trying to do to Warrington,

this pressure. Widnes digging deep. Grinding their

way back into this game if they can. After 20 minutes, possession and

territory very similar to yesterday. 63% possession to Castleford and

territory is even greater. Hang on in there, Widnes. Get some field

position. Castleford 20 get their players

behind to play-the-ball. -- trying to get.

Here come will Castleford again. That's my Castleford. -- Castleford.

The ball swirled in the wind and the rain and that is what happens on a

day like today. That was a nightmare for Rhys Hanbury. An absolute

nightmare. And it is going to be a drop out the stakes. I think that

went backwards. He was not really certain but I think it went

backwards. That should have been play on. Castleford are playing the

conditions are little bit better. They are taking their big forwards

up the side of the ruck. A lot of attention on Daryl Clark, as they

should be. Very simple and effective played by Castleford. I know you

played for Widnes and all that, but backwards? You are outnumbered,

Dave. I thought it went backwards as well.

The conditions have deteriorated. The wind is very gusty and it is

raining heavily. Well done Rhys Hanbury there. He

read it really well. Hurricane Bertha is here. Hurricane Bernard is

here! Bertha, is it? That is a relieving penalty for Widnes. Now

then, if they can get a good kick and a good attacking position...

Helped by a gust of wind and a big boot. Widnes trailing by ten points.

The hurricane that Castleford threw at them in the opening stages may

just be abating a little bit. There may be a chance for Widnes to regain

a foothold. The referee claims that was a

grapple tackle as well from Oliver Holmes. I think he has evened it up

therefore the Cahill one. -- there for the Cahill one. I thought

Hanbury should have taken off them. Close enough.

A couple of dummies... Not quite slithering over, Dave Allen. He

plays it back. Suddenly it is a recovery run. Look at the break from

Castleford! A wonderful run from Marianne. -- Mariano.

That kick went right into his arms. He went for it. Webster, he produced

a wonderful pass which led to a try against Wigan in the quarterfinals.

They have taken up position again here, Cas. Liam Finn. Snake'. A

couple of dummies. He had his ankles tapped. He just caught him. --

Sneyd. It is a great game, I have to say. It is a really good game, last

ditch desperation defence from both teams. Breaks from hawkers. Keep

your hats on. -- hookers. Denis Betts looks calm and collected. I am

sure he is bubbling up inside. Kevin Brown just pushing Clarke out of the

way. That is a poor kick. Looking further penalty. Clare with the

return. They are running at a relentless pace, lots of boys

recovering from the kicks and that is to be expected. With the pace of

the game like this. Lots of us have been caught up in the atmosphere,

the first 20 minutes was electric, a very fast pace. Here is pin.

Shenton. -- Finn. Trying to get the kick and chase in. Back on the 20

metres. Luke Dorn is such a danger. Every time he comes in, he has that

acceleration, good hands and the awareness because he has played at

half-backs. He is a very dangerous player. Widnes are looking to run it

clear again. Willie Isa, the Sale International. Injuries meant that

he only played nine times. They certainly did not see the best of

him. I think he has only scored three tries in three seasons at

Super League. This is a terrific kick, right into the corner.

Castleford start five and five, five in and five from the try line. The

Widnes defence are ready and lined up and waiting for this now. Dixon.

He has done quite a bit of work down the middle of the park. Good play by

the Castleford back three, giving the forwards time to get back. Now

they take over. Sneyd with the kick. Hanbury. That was not a kind bounce.

It turns back and he has to deal with this. Got to deal with it. The

Castleford Chase is enthusiastic. That is where he stays. That is a

good kick and chase by Castleford. Owens. Dean. As you say, the word of

the day is relentless, it has been relentless so far. Such a fast pace.

Here is Clarke. Willie Isa. Five tackles already for Widnes, they are

still short of the 40 metre line so it will take a good kick, it drags

along the ground and it gives the chasing defenders annexed a few

seconds to get up there. -- some extra seconds. It has significantly

dropped, the pace. Here is Webster. This is where players like Rhys

Hanbury all Luke Dorn can be effective. Tight forwards. -- or

Luke Dorn. Dixon. The backs are heavily involved in clearing the

Castleford lines. Now the big fella is going to go. Here is Lynch. He

claims of obstruction but the referee tells him to play on. Over

on the left side. Sneyd, driving it across towards Dixon, he was

lingering but Owens again catches it. And he gets a penalty. That was

a good catch because he was under a bit of pressure, cleaned it up. It

was not a good kick by Sneyd. A bit more conservative now that the pace

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

the air. Driving through, Carol. One of many in the Widnes side who have

roots with Wigan. Kevin Brown is one of them. Mellor is another one and

he has dropped it. A difficult path to take. -- pass. It was a difficult

one to take, it dies on him, and it is a dangerous period of the game

for them, they need to score next. I think so. They have not had the

creative opportunities yet. Two quick tries by Castleford. The game

has evened out, apart from those two incidents. Eight minutes of the

first half remaining, if you are joining us late, the tries were

scored in the opening ten minutes, Liam Finn and Daryl Clark. At that

stage Castleford were pushing very hard. Widnes have hung on. Here is

Clarke. Lynch throws it back. Holmes found the shoulder of Dave Aaron,

the Irish international. Sneyd again. Lynch. Clarke. Jewett. And

now Finn. Webster came in at pace, but he cannot quite break through

the line. The Widnes defenders were there before him. Quick hands from

Mariano, but somehow it gets through to Kirk Dixon to score the try, that

is the third the Castleford. A little bit of magic has been weaved,

tight to the right-hand side, and Castleford extend their lead. Very

good on the short side. There you go, going down the short side.

Again, Luke Dorn, great hands. That was great, great hands, just watch

him. He makes the pass, beating the extra man. To redbrick from Mariano

and Luke Dorn -- terrific. He knows that Dixon is there. That is a good

finish because Dixon has two catch it, come inside and beat Hanbury,

right across and into touch. That is how advantageous a footballing

full-back is, he plays as an extra man at half-backs, comes in and

spots the extra man and creates a try. Well done, Luke Dorn. The

Castleford fans are loving this at the moment, absolutely loving it,

what a season they are having and Widnes are having a great season as

well. Castleford are within two points of top spot in Super League

at the moment, theoretically they could still win the double, more

than theoretically, realistically they could win, but it is a huge

ask. They have certainly started this semifinal in the correct

manner. It is reminiscent of yesterday 's performance at Leeds,

in the first half, the set play with Clarke at the start of the game,

Luke Dorn injects himself, and his speed creates another try. It is all

going their way at the moment. Marc Sneyd. Kicked one, missed one of the

two so far. On the touchline, with all of the noise echoing in his ears

and he has pulled it wide again. They were difficult ones. Castleford

are still leading, 14-0. That was a good pass because he knew that Dixon

was there and Brown was trying to close him down, at that pace, you

just have two step and finish, but it was well executed. -- have to.

Widnes need a response before half-time? Yes, it would be great if

they had it but they cannot concede another, that is crucial. 14 points

in the modern game of rugby league is not much, if Widnes get a score,

they will be able to have a sensible second half but they cannot allow

Cas to score more. Further news for Craig Huby, apologies to the viewers

having a late Avenue and snack, the doctors have been unable to put his

elbow back in so he has had to go to hospital to get it sorted. Obviously

he will play no further part but you have to wonder what Wembley would be

like if Castleford see this through in a couple of weeks. That is not a

lot of recovery time through a dislocated elbow, two weeks. It is

unlikely he will be there. We are still a long way away from that

prospect, we still have 46 minutes left. Widnes are still trailing, but

they have never got their heads into this. Widnes, Cahill. He has got a

lot of experience of Challenge Cup finals, on the field here, for

Widnes. A large amount of experience in the coaching staff and

Castleford, Dennis Betts, the seven time Challenge Cup winner. And they

winner in 1991 as well, and he will have plenty to say at half-time,

this is the sixth tackle, 20 metres out. Shipping it high again. Dixon

makes it to be in-goal area but from that position it is a tap out. Dorn

felt that he was away there. Still a chance. It was a diffused Balm, so

the referee was right. Giving a 20 metre restart. He was not allowed to

take it quickly because he was not the man that caught it. -- bomb. It

will be interesting to see that one again. Jewett, after the cry of

held. They will go back and play it again. He has got that right, and by

a matter of millimetres. Not the first time this year. I was just

saying how close it was, that is great eyesight, great spot. He took

it from the field of play and did not diffused it. That is a forward

pass. The touch judge has a good look at that. It has not been given.

I am not sure he was watching, he was right in line and if he did not

see that forward pass... He has got Spec Savers on his back, maybe he

should have gone there! Going across the line of yellow which was up

quickly. Good to see legends of the game. If anybody embodies the game,

it is Alex, as a player and coach over the years. And you would not

expect the Challenge Cup without Morgan being here, he is very much a

legend. That is a diving catch. REFEREE: Play on! The big difference

has been the go forward at the moment, Liam Finn and Clarke have

had a good platform, but Joe Mellor has not because the Widnes forwards

have not given them a platform yet. Another set of six to get through,

they will be able to wind it down and keep their lead intact going

into half-time. Widnes are desperate. That is the chairman of

the Rugby football league these days. This is a chance, a kick

downfield and a bit of desperation, he watches it out and is careful not

to touch it... But it has been given! That is a free play, isn't

it? It has got to be a free play. He is having a look at it. It is a free

play from now. They should play on. Widnes get the ball. For me, they

get the scrum if they want the advantage to be played. The referee

has two interpret where the advantage is, the play-the-ball back

there. That would have been a scrum in their favour anyway? Yes, if the

Castleford player took it out. It is out before the Castleford player

touches it, so he has got the right and so in the end. -- right answer.

It is the play-the-ball to Widnes here. The feed at the scrum,

possession to Widnes. Only a minute left, a flat backline, is it worth

kicking it through to the posts and chasing? No one is back there. The

first effort is a barging run by Willie Isa. WHISTLE

The ball has been lost, penalty. It was worth kicking it. Luke Dorn was

racing out. Plenty of speed. I would definitely go for the posts here.

They are running it. That is another penalty. They are getting closer.

Thereafter you are seconds on the clock, so maybe this time they will

kick. The referee has stopped the clock. What would you do? I would

kick for goal, they are only going to get free play is at best and to

get to within two scores, instead of three. They are going to tap it

again, by the looks of it, though. They tap it. Hep Cahill. If they

come out with nothing here they will be very frustrated. But then again

if they were to score, two tackles to go. Here comes Tickle, he throws

it back. A big drive forward. Lloyd White at dummy half. 12 seconds to

go. Tickle. He is looking for a path down the middle and he very nearly

found it, very nearly. The last play of the half, but the ball has been

lost. The whistle will sound. Widnes come out empty-handed right at the

end of the 40 minutes. It is Castleford in the shape of Liam

Finn, Daryl Clark and Kirk Dixon who have their three tries, Clarke very

much at the heart of all that has been good to Castleford so far.

Widnes zero -14 Castleford is the half-time scoreline. Advantaged to

the Yorkshire club at the moment. -- advantage. Let's hear from Michael

Shenton of Castleford. How good a lead is 14 points? Pretty good but

only half the job done, conditions are really bad, so we have two stay

composed. Those errors could have let Widnes back in the game but we

have been solid. There are still areas to improve. How can you make

sure they do not come back? We will have to just worry about ourselves.

I will let you get back. Thanks. He talked about the weather conditions

there, Jamie, when you look at those stats, does that say that Castleford

played better in these conditions? Definitely. They played pretty close

to the perfect half, if you look at the possession and territory. It

does not tell the story. But to 35mm Castleford only made one error, they

made the best at and they took the game away from Widnes. One of the

tweets says that Widnes are not getting the basics right. Castleford

are getting out of trouble and into areas to create opportunities to

score points. Widnes are not quite there at the moment. It was a

fantastic start for Castleford with that early try. You have taken a

look at the Finn try, what was the key? Daryl Clark like you picked out

at the beginning? It was, but also the Widnes defenders, four people in

the tackle and a lack of communication, one defender, that is

the rule, that is when you run. And from there he uses his speed and a

bit of strength to get through. A couple of contentious forward passes

possibly. He runs alongside Finn for the pass and he does not mean

anything, he is allowed to wait for the offload. That was possibly

forward but it was not given and that is a great way to start the

game to Castleford, and a fantastic tribe. Luke Dorn has been involved

in all of the good things that Castleford has done. -- try.

Straightaway he makes a breakthrough. Kevin Brown runs into

the back of Jake Webster. It was a great start the Castleford. Five or

six minutes in, they gave away a quick play-the-ball so that Daryl

Clark can run. Did that set the tone for a while? It did. Castleford got

the better of early exchanges by kicking better and controlling the

ball better. Widnes did not get to grips with it straight away. You can

see some of the kicks, early on, that was a good kick. They have been

skidding out. I do not think their kicking game has been the best.

Castleford had the better start and that is why they dominated. Look at

that, relieving the pressure, Castleford get out to 40 metres. Big

games are all about relieving pressure, and you can see that. They

scored a try almost. In contrast Castleford are kicking it high which

gives the full-backs and the wingers a standing start, and it gives them

more chance to put pressure on, kicking it along the floor, that is

really difficult because it is a slippy surface. Lots of kicks are

going astray. As the rain came in, the windswept in, and they played

the conditions better. Missing a kick led to the second drive. Yes,

it was, a Widnes player missed it. -- try. What we will see is a set

play, Daryl Powell loads set plays. Mark Sneed steps it up. Set plays

are about exploiting surprise, and this one is about surprise. He is

not expecting Daryl Clark. Roger defenders, and he attracted him and

then there is a massive hole put Daryl Clark to run into but this is

down to Daryl Powell. It was made by the other Darryl. You need that

element of surprise and the ability to exploit the Widnes defence and

that is a fantastic example. We picked out Daryl Clark and Allen

says that he is a shoo-in for England. I would like to think so,

with the kind of pace he has got, terrifying. Speaking from

experience, I think the Australians do not do their homework on a lot of

English players, they have an arrogance about themselves, and I do

not think they know who he is. But he can cause real damage. Those are

the Darryls, how key is the relationship between the young man

and the master? It is key because you have to get the best out of your

players and it comes down to the understanding and how they react.

Lots of coaches might give them a hard time, put their arm around

them, but he has found the right balance, not just for him but the

rest of the team as well because they are working hard for their

coach which is a big thing. He had to go off to hospital to have his

elbows seem to, have to having a great impact in the beginning. It

will be a big miss for the rest of the season? You would think that he

would not play again, he has been in good form this year, and they will

miss him. Coming back to what we spoke about, the squad ethos, can

the squad adapt? He should be able to make up the numbers from the

bench. Nobody likes to see a player going off injured like that. He will

be a big loss for Cas. He is a key player, one of the unsung heroes in

many ways. It is the way he plays as well. He supports the team. The

ethos of working hard for each other. He acts as another

ballplayer, he has got great hands, getting to the ball, playing it to

Sneyd. He creates more from the middle of the field. There are

players to fill in. They went on to score again with lovely quick hands

for the final try? Yes, what we see at the start of this is what

epitomises the way that Cas has played this year, making defenders

make decisions. We are going to see them playing again, plenty of

players, six or seven players, trying to make them make decisions

in defence and they get what they want at the end of it, a quick

play-the-ball which allows them to run down the short side and it is a

lack of defence and communication there, the Widnes defenders should

have travelled to the short side, a bit of that is down to a lack of

communication, creating the overlap and then great hands after that.

That is a wonderful ball, he knows that he has do catch and pass within

half a second and he does that. We spoke earlier about world-class

players, with Ryan Hall scoring that tried, and again that was

world-class. Dennis vets, giving a few home truths to his players

there. -- Dennis Betts. He looks pretty calm, they will be talking

about controlling the ball more and getting it out of their own area

because they are doing the hard work of their own line, instead of

creating opportunities to score, they have only had a couple of sets

at the Cas line, credit to them, but Widnes have the change to get back

in the game. I like what Widnes were doing earlier in the game coming

using the short side, but they went away from that. They got some easy

metres from that, they should be talking about using that, getting

the ball high, using the swirling wind. You saw Dennis giving Kevin

Brown a quick pat on the back. They will need him. Liam Finn has

dominated, to be fair, they are similar but they are not telling you

the quality of the kicks, that is not in the stats, those are just

numbers. Liam Finn's quality of kick has been better than Kevin Brown's.

That is an area that he needs to improve on if Widnes are going to

score points in the second half. A lovely tweet, poor conditions?

Everyone has forgotten that this used to be a winter sport! We have

not forgotten, it is really cold! It has been a frantic first half, a man

who knew everything there was to know about winter rugby is going to

take is down memory lane with his Challenge Cup Memories. 1961 cup

final between St Helens and Wigan, some of the greatest names ever to

grace the Challenge Cup final. One man sealed the fate of Wigan. And

here's wing partner. Very much underrated. -- his partner. I

actually went to school with him and few people realised how quick Kenny

was, he was a Lancashire schools sprinter and if there was one man in

the Saint Helen side who could keep up with Tom it was Kenny.

COMMENTATOR: Behind the posts for as insatiable drive. With the

conversion still to come, Saints were the winners 12-6. Just in case

you think Ray has got his feet up, he hasn't because he is here working

for BBC radio Merseyside. I think he is still awake! We have decided to

set you a challenge, it is called the Challenge Cup Challenge and with

the help of a player from each of the four semifinalists, here is John

Wilkin to explain what you have to do. The Challenge Cup Kat --

Challenge. A drop goal with your bad foot, and then hit the posts with a

grubber kick. Whoever completes that in the quickest time will be the

winner, it sounds easy but let's see. Super League's answer to

Gollum. Jamie Ellis got here and our early to be practising. The pressure

has got to him! Yes, that was great, Jamie. No pressure, lads, but

he is a back rower. He is taking it easy. That was easy. He got a bit of

a rush on. He looks composed, a bit slow, that was nice. He was too

good. One man who does have his feet up is John Wilkin, he is

recuperating at home at home have to a shoulder operation. All the best

to John, he will be with us in the final. We will show you who won the

challenge later. And you can take on the challenge yourself on the BBC

sport website. You have the time yourselves, we will show a couple of

people having a go during our coverage in the Challenge Cup final

in a couple of weeks. They are building up for the second

half. They are building up for the second

half. What do Widnes need to do? I would

like to see them force some errors. It is not an insurmountable task

they have got. I think they need to score first if they are to go on and

win. For a Castleford, more of the same? Yes, more of the same. The

team that will win will be the team that has field position. If

Castleford have that, it will be an easy run-in at the end. We want to

hear your description of the game in four words. We will read out as many

of your tweets as we can on the red button. The team is getting ready to

come out for the second half. Let's hand you over to Brian Noble,

Jonathan Davies and Dave Woods. 1980 6 cents Castleford last won at

Wembley. 1984 since Widnes achieved that particular triumph. Two Joel

Leyden tries on that day. -- Joel Leyden.

They have not lifted that famous trophy for nearly 30 years in both

cases. What can we expect from Widnes in the second half? What kind

of reaction? Widnes have got to play the

conditions. Play them solidly. Take it forward first of all before

giving the half-backs the ball. The Castleford defence are just

drifting. It is easy defence for them. Five tackles gone and

Castleford having to kick from behind their own 30 metre line.

It is up to Widnes, I think. They need to put pressure on

Castleford's kick. If the ball does go dead from a long kick, change it.

When you look at the National Rugby league in Australia, they had a look

at that and they give you an extra player. They say if you kick the

ball dead, you get seven players, innocence. That would be a good

change. The other thing the Aussies have is a tap restart instead of a

scrum. It enhances the skill level of the kicking. The ball is not out

of play. Anywhere, we have got a semifinal to watch. -- anyway.

It will be a tap back on the 20. I wonder what was said by the coaches

at half-time? George Riley? Denis Betts told his Widnes players that

they can play better. They need more composure, that was the key message

at half-time. Complete the sets, finish it, don't lose it. Daryl

Powell has told Cass to keep up with a game plan. -- Cas. He has warned

his players to be ready for the opposition to fight back in the

first ten to 15 minutes. The big message from Daryl Powell, keep your

focus. I think Clark is injured. He is slow to his feet. He is being

tracked by the physio. He gets back in line to make his place in

defence. It is going to be a drop out underneath the stakes. It was

perfectly flighted. Castleford complaining that it was caught in

the in-goal area. The referee has got it spot on. Brian Noble would

have got that spot on as well. I had it already nailed! It looks like

hurricane Brenda has gone! Different conditions now. It was just the tail

end of hurricane Brenda it is just Brenda! Bertha!

Widnes need a score. They need to score next. This is decent position.

Cahill dropped the ball. This is the advantage played for Cas. Poor

execution. A better start for Widnes. They have had better field

position at the start of the second half. Both sides taking a breather.

Nearly five minutes of the second half played. It has been a draining

encounter. Emotionally it would have taken a lot out of them before they

even started here today. Physically it has been punishing because of the

speed at which it seems to be played.

Defensively Widnes are a lot sharper. The line speed is good.

Castleford's mentality and methodology is quite simple.

You cannot do that, Willy. The penalty is quickly taken. Daryl

Clark with a good charging run downfield. Shenton had to be dealt

with by Paddy Flynn. Flint talking high. It will be another penalty for

Castleford. Two penalties back-to-back. It often leads to a

try. Here comes Oliver Holmes. Setting the agenda.

I think Miller has taken a knock-on the left-hand side. Widnes are a man

down defensively. -- mellower. -- mellower.

Jamie Owens! He has left them all grasping at thin air with his

sensational footwork. Brilliant step in close to the line. Widnes

absolutely hypnotised in defence. Castleford taking a giant step

closer to a Wembley final. I think Jamie Ellis... Eamon O'Carroll was

slow off the ground. Cannot quite get back onside. It will be

interesting to see this. Some you get, some you don't. It is a

penalty. Here is the next one on Shenton. That was judged to be a

title as well. -- a high tackle. Ben Kavanagh had to try to fill the

spot. Dave Allen tried to fill the space he thinks Ellis is going to

run into. Ellis is smart. Fair play. A good try. Very similar to the

first try. The easiest kick Marc Sneyd has had

for a while. He missed his last couple from either touchline. A

chance to take the lead to 20 points. Three scores behind, Widnes.

Snead makes the difference. Four scores now. Widnes need to wake up

quick or their Wembley dream is over. Castleford are taking it away

from them. There is a huge hole behind Eamon O'Carroll. He is not

looking at it. Dave Allen tried to fix the problem. Eamon O'Carroll was

very slow. Dave Allen went into helping. Unfortunately, Ellis does

the both of them. Throughout the game, I think Castleford have been

good at dummy half. The minute they recognise Widnes are not quite set,

they make plenty of metres. Denis Betts knows there is little he can

do at this stage in terms of influencing the way this game is

played. He can just hope his players have got the spirit and the

wherewithal to get back in. It ain't game over just yet but it is getting

close. Widnes still have a chance but they have to act quickly.

Castleford are singing about Wembley.

Widnes making decent progress. They are travelling well here. Three

tackles in the bag. Stefan Marsh's footwork is very good at times and

he gets a penalty. Just what Widnes needed at this stage. We have given

Castleford all the attacking plaudits. But they bend their backs

pretty well as well. They have defended well.

Tickle lost that. There have been several times that Widnes will

wonder what might have been had their handling being a little

better. Little by way of advantage to work

with for Widnes. No purchase to get themselves out of trouble.

Widnes looking to bash their way down the middle again now.

Castleford getting through the defensive duties. Castleford have to

work hard. Lloyd White got right into him there. Name-macro have it.

Crucially. -- Cas. Widnes showing no lack of enthusiasm.

That is a great kick. Absolutely spectacular! He just leathered that.

He was in his own 40. Great skill. It bounces one metre infield. Wind

assisted as well. Hurricane Bertha or Brenda, whatever her name is!

That means Castleford get head and feed 12 metres from the Widnes line

and a chance to turn the screw good and proper. We have mentioned Daryl

Clark a lot but Jamie Ellis has not been bad since coming on. Widnes

desperately defending. They cannot concede again.

Has it dislodged in the tackle? That was a brilliant take. Knock-on. Full

credit to Widnes for holding out there. They were under immense

pressure. A smart kick from Marc Sneyd. A clean catch. A great take

and great defence from Paddy Flynn. Very good play. The Widnes end is

very quiet at the moment. Subdued. Knowing that their side are slowly

losing their way here. Desperately needing to find some kind of

inspiration. Castleford dominating. They have played really well.

The ball has gone to ground again. It is another handling mistake.

Castleford get the ball back on their own terms. Clever played by

Webster. Far too many mistakes now. Stopping the momentum for Windows.

-- Widnes. There is an interesting conundrum here if Castleford do get

through to the Challenge Cup final. What about those players on the

sidelines, Justin Carney etc? That is a real tough one for a coach,

isn't it, Brian Noble? You pick your best team and your best players.

Exactly. Unless somebody who is not normally in the team has an

outstanding effort that gives you a sleepless night. Generally at the

start of the year you have an idea for your best team is. -- of what

your best team is. Luke Dorn joining in the fun fur

Castleford. Denied five metres away from the ultimate glory.

Widnes have to keep the ball alive now. They cannot afford a

Conservative approach. A sell-out crowd today. There was a

suggestion of a bigger stadium. Widnes hoping to find a way back

into this game. Time is not on their side.

The Widnes fans finding their voice now. Some tub thumping going on from

their end. Trying to inspire their heroes.

Again, Widnes seem to be playing with a lot of width. They lack that

penetration from the forwards. You need the props and the second rows

to take the ball in. They have not been able to do that. I think the

Cas forwards are just got that advantage over them. Castleford have

had four extra sets in terms of the tackle count. As the boys said in

the studio, the total number of metres, 800 for Widnes and more than

1204 Castleford. That is the difference. The hard yards. -- more

than 1200 four Castleford. The red button coming up at five o'clock.

You know how it works. A couple of weeks and we are off to Wembley

Stadium, August 23. They have got to run at Jamie Ellis. He doesn't know

where he is. He has heard a bang on the head. He is struggling to get

back in the line. They have got to target him. That is the sort of

thing you have to target. Widnes 20 to burst their way through the

middle. -- trying to. Widnes simply ran out of room on the

near side. They were forced to go right because they have not got the

penetration. That is what I was saying earlier. There has been no

yardage in the middle. They have done it so well, the Cas defenders.

Full marks to the Widnes fans. Of their seeds and bouncing up and

down. You would think they were winning the Challenge Cup semifinal,

not losing it. They have decided they are here for a party. They do

not get to Challenge Cup semifinals very often, so dang it, as the

Americans would say, they are going to celebrate it. They are helping to

produce this wonderful atmosphere that we have got. Does that serve to

inspire their side to the unlikeliest of comebacks?

If things are going to happen for Widnes, they need to happen quickly.

The Cas defence is so good. Widnes cannot find a way through. They are

running into a wall of gold. They cannot find a front foot player.

Containing everything that Widnes are throwing at them.

If there is no way through, you have to have a good tactical kicking game

where you can compete. That was a poor kick. Like Warrington

yesterday, they had one opportunity with Monaghan where Warrington

scored. That is what they have to do. Create an opportunity with a

competitive kick. Widnes will be so disappointed in themselves because

they know they have not given what they can give to this semifinal.

They have not been allowed to. Daryl Clark is back on, in case you have

not noticed. Owens, having caught the ball, could

do nothing in the face of that steam roller that came charging before

him. Well played Castleford. Great kick by Liam Finn. Webster knew

exactly what was going on with Mariano Andujar winger, Dixon. --

Mariano and Dixon. The drop out went straight out of play without

bouncing. That is an element of the desperation that Widnes find

themselves in. Kevin Brown was looking to try to balance it out.

That would have given his side a chance to regain possession. He

completely miscued. Castleford will go for goal. And easy to points. --

and easy two points. Hats off to Castleford. They started the season

like a house on fire and they have kept it up. A little bit of a dip

mid season but they have fired it back up again. We always questioned

if they could produce on the big stage. They went to Wigan in the

quarterfinal and won. They come here in the semifinal, and as much as we

are disappointed as neutrals, you have got to say that Castleford

today, under Daryl Powell, have shown that they have pedigree. They

have to resit pedigree. And by the way, this noise is the Widnes fans.

Absolutely brilliant. It will be a good final. One thing about

Castleford, they have got a strong spine through their side.

as it has been at any point during the day. The noise is completely

black-and-whites down to our left. The Castleford fans are celebrating.

Widnes fans are just having a good time. That does not come off. But it

is not gone by Massey. -- knocked on. I would like to see a couple of

scores by Widnes. Just to reward this fanaticism. It is brilliant.

Their team is so far behind, the cameras are going off. If you come

to a rugby league matched dressed like that, you cannot take

yourselves too seriously, can you? ! The roof might lift if Widnes score

a try, even if it would be in a losing cause. Less than 20 away.

Clarke adds dummy half. To his left is the Scotland international,

Kavanagh. Incredible support from the Widnes fans. Close but no cigar.

Danny Galea. Jon Clarke. Mellor. Brown. Allen was wrapped up the

moment the ball came to his hands. Jon Clarke. Kevin Brown with the

short pass. Has he got over? CHEERING

Listen to the celebration. Go on, rest, give it. -- ref. Let's hear

from Phil Bentham. He has two play by the rule book. -- has to play.

It is not as clear on that one, we will go back to the initial shot. At

any point, this ball could be down. There is definitely his arm under it

the whole time. Yes, we are happy with the shot we

have seen, no try, tackle ten metres out. Listen to this. Widnes fans

booing and Castleford fans are cheering. Because he was held up,

they will get another play. First tackle, ten metres out. Here it

comes. Mellor, his kick takes a deflection. Castleford survived, and

the scoreline remains at nil in the Widnes column. Here is Clark.

Mariano has had a good game. One of my worries at the top of the game

for the Castleford side was the lack of Hauraki and Millington. Mariano

has played pretty well as well and it has not affected them that much.

His dad is from Cape Verde, Frankie Mariano. He was born in Hull. Here

is Finn. With the kick. It's kids too far. -- it's skidding. On five

or six occasions Castleford have been content to back their defence

and keep Widnes at this end of the field. He was aiming to find touch

from the restart, but again it is a kick that he will not want to see

again. Here comes Luke Dorn. What a difference 12 months has made for

him, we mentioned the nightmare with London Broncos last year that he was

involved with, a very different mood this afternoon. Here comes Shenton.

They have been stronger, they have looked good athleticly. Sneyd. Finn.

Dorn. Webster. Dixon. Webster. Try. Castleford are going to Wembley. We

knew it before and everybody knows it now. Jake Webster! With the icing

on a particularly tasty cake. How good does this sound, Castleford

fans? You are on the way to Wembley! What an afternoon for them. It is

all about keeping the ball alive. He does well with the inside ball,

finding Jake Webster. As Brian said, they have just had that little bit

extra. The dummy runners, holding the defence, and again it is Luke

Dorn, the winger is sucked in. It is the inside ball, and he comes in,

three on two. He causes the inside defender to drift across, the ball

is alive, try. Great hands from the Castleford back

line, and great awareness from Dixon to keep the ball alive for Webster,

and he is a big boy, you will not stop him back close to the line. You

can see how much it means. Yes indeed, it is their day. Whichever

of these clubs got there, it would have meant so much. It is Castleford

who are going, and boy, what does that mean to that town? ! Daryl

Powell their coach was a Castleford fan as a kid. He is a man that has

produced this resurrection of style down there which is culminating in a

Wembley final appearance in a couple of weeks time and who knows, who

knows, they could still win the double as well. Sneyd with the kick,

four out of six, 28-0, there will be some partying going on in Castleford

tonight. That was a nice backline move, a couple of dummy runners and

that the past his speed creates so much opportunity, and the quality of

passing as well, Web similes is Dixon and Dixon reciprocates. --

Webster releases Dixon. They will be battling, they will not give up with

a whimper, there are still eight minutes of the game to go. Galea

takes it in. The Widnes supporters chanting. That has been the story of

their day. Going wide again, there is no change from the Castleford

defence, and they have been forced wide. They have been marshalled

extremely well in the middle and outside. Arguably the most pleasing

aspect for Daryl Powell is the defensive performance of the whole

site today. It is going to be the first all Yorkshire Wembley final

since Castleford were last there in 1986, Castleford against Hull

Kingston Rovers. There has been an all Yorkshire final since, but not

at Wembley. Here is Webster. They move up to the halfway line and it

is picked up and they are galloping forward again. What does it feel

like to be involved as a coach or player in the semifinal when you

know you can enjoy the last seven minutes because you are already

there? To be fair, you just want to hear the whistle, you want the game

to be over, it is invigorating, it does not quite sinking, I am sure it

is the same for the staff and the players, you want the final whistle

to go. As a player, when you know you are going there, you just have

to keep your focus. Play the game out. It is buried very enjoyable, --

very very. It looks like a Castleford bench which had its

emotions in check when we saw them, there. They have to play Warrington

next Friday night, Castleford. Here comes Brown. Class from the

stand-off, but his kick ricocheted off Dorn. It is picked up, though,

by Stefan Marsh. He heads to the corner but it will be held up five

short. First break. Dave Allen. Sending it back from where it came.

A short pass. Mellor. Brown. He got the pass away. That is a SuperDrive.

Listen to this! His emotions tell you how little it means in the

context of the game but listen to the reaction from the Widnes fans,

it is as if they have just booked their place in the final. Fantastic

from Widnes, and fantastic from the fans, a reflection of the hard work

which they have put in. They have not played the way they wanted to

but this was a great break from Kevin Brown initially and the

support play, getting the ball back to zero, and the ricochet sets of

the opportunity on the left-hand side, Hanbury jumps into the line

and he has the speed, Webster tries to stop the player coming off and it

gives Palin is run into corner. Well done. -- it gives Owens. He attends

the conversion. Booted in fairly high and it drops down on the right

side of the rights. The Widnes fans again in at a celebration, the

Vikings did not quite come here and plunder. They are still going to

have a good time for all of that. There is the restart from Kirk

Dixon. A good run back again. Jon Clarke rolling in and dummy half.

Jonathan Davies, you have have the delight of choosing the man of the

match today. What are your thoughts? It has been a great team effort. But

I think that Clark has played well. Most of the team has played well for

Castleford, but Lynch has been the standout forward. Luke Dorn's

involvement has been very good. The Tetley's Challenge Cup man of the

match is Luke Dorn. His influence from the back has been important,

involved in almost all of the tries. Somebody must have told him last

year when he walked down the pitch desolate having lost with London,

there is always next year, but he would not have believed how things

could turn around. Man of the match in a winning semifinal at the same

ground 12 months later. It just shows you that you have two

persevere, keep going. It can always turn around. That is an amazing

turnaround, isn't it? The Castleford flag has been unfurled. We have got

three minutes left to play here. Here is Jon Clarke at dummy half

again. Kavanagh. Running it in. Clark. Isa off-loads it. It is

dropped. He dived! He saw those 80 metres in front of him and

thought... LAUGHTER One is enough. No heroics is needed.

He will save it for another day. I am sure he had every intention but

he was frustrated. Webster. Not the biggest of towns,

Castleford. A shop owner, a bar owner, do not bother opening,

because the entire town will empty and head down the M1 for a big

Wembley day out against... Well, they have always been the rivals

across the road, Leeds, and against Castleford, that will be a cracker.

The crowd has Castleford, that will be a cracker.

sides, haven't they? I have never seen so many naked men! Gerrard

tries to offload it but it looks as though it was forward. The referee

is in an uncharitable mood. Richard Silverwood says that it was. Let me

rephrase that, men with their shirts off. Seminaked. That is just as bad.

They are hurting, hurting badly, not just physically but mentally as well

because they had a big chance today, more about the story that Daryl

Powell is writing at Castleford, he has change the culture, this club

looked as though it was going nowhere 18 months ago, it looked as

though it was simply heading out of existence, and he has change the

culture. -- changed it. He got everyone into the way he wanted them

and what aids accessible story that is unfolding. Daryl Powell, he was a

hard player, a disciplined player. A very talented player. He saw the

game well. He has done exceptionally well. But it has been a tough road

into coaching for him. I am glad he has done well. Back in the day they

referred to him as classy Cas, and this side are putting the class back

in Cas. They are going to Wembley for a final against Leeds, they have

put on H early professional, outstanding performance here today

to win this one x 28-6. -- they have put on a really professional

performance. Widnes have played their part in making this a

memorable occasion. -- they have won this one. Based on a good solid

defence. They were clinical. The half-backs and the forwards laid the

platform with the half-backs chipping in and then Dorn chipped in

to create a lot of tries for the extra man. A solid performance. For

Widnes now, they have two build on their Challenge Cup run, they are in

the top eight and they have to stay there. That would be a great

achievement for them. Castleford - Leeds in the final, that will be a

great final, a Yorkshire final. Let's hear from the man of the

match, 12 months ago his heart would have been breaking but today it is

bursting with pleasure and pride, Luke Dorn. What a difference a year

makes, how good does that feel, being off to Wembley? It is

indescribable, really, I never thought I would get another chance.

Coming here, giving me belief back in my game, the guys were amazing.

How good was that dominant performance? We spoke all week about

how good they were and what we needed to do, we had a really

specific game plan and we came out and executed it is near enough to

perfection. What an atmosphere. You told me that even the rain could not

take away your excitement. What was it like? It was fantastic, both sets

of fans, from the get go. Our fans were unbelievable. I feel as though

I was born and raised in Castleford, the way they treat me. They are the

best in the world. There were quite a few big performances, a word on

this guy as well? Darrel is as good a player as there is. I would not

swap him for anyone in any competition in the world, he can

change the game, any time I am half a metre away from him, he is the

best man on the field. Go and enjoy it. Daryl Clark, but you got the

ball rolling, that was quite an 80 minutes? It was an outstanding

effort from all of the boys today. We knew we had a few players out. We

knew that we had enough to get victory today. As a young fan

growing up, watching players at Wembley, you are now going there to

play in the Challenge Cup final? How does that feel? It makes it special,

doing it with my home-town club, I will never forget it. Both bands

were unbelievable, and they were only here for the semifinal. They

gave us a lift, turning out in numbers. We will leave you to go

over there and enjoy it. Well done. Let's bring in the coach, Daryl

Powell, I'm sure you don't care, but how does this feel for you, beating

Widnes, and leading Castleford to Wembley? We have got a game left

now, we have got Leeds in the final, it will be a Yorkshire final

and I am looking forward to it. The celebrations behind our unreal, the

fans on the pitch, off the pitch, singing and dancing. You have only

one the semifinal? Yes, it has been a great atmosphere but Widnes have

been superb this year. We have just got over the top, couple of times

this year. A fantastic effort from the boys. We're looking forward to

the final. It is an all Yorkshire final, as a former Leeds man, what

is that going to be like? It is massive, I have spent time at

Leeds, this is the dream final. Thank you for joining us. What a

performance from Castleford, I think you picked out just one error in the

second half, they were clinical. They absolutely deserved it, Widnes

did not played particularly poorly, but Cas were outstanding. In all

areas of the game, they kicked well, defended well, used the ball well.

They thoroughly deserved to get through to the final. They dominated

the game pretty much from start to finish? They were ruthless, Widnes

got them selves back in, but it was not like Castleford to let them

play, they kept them at arm's-length, they made a few errors

and it just was not their day. Brian, you were enjoying the

commentary, Castleford is a team of stars, they are a real team? They

have plenty of stars, 20 of men that can make a difference to the team.

Luke Dorn was the man of the match today but it could have gone to

Clark all Lynch. He was outstanding. It could have gone to Mariano with

all of his brakes. Sneyd played well and Finn kicked well. The team

effort was there for all to see. They have plenty of match-winning

players. The encouraging thing was the way they defended, they are a

vigorous defensive team. You are only as strong as your weakest link

and everybody needs to perform well. Castleford played exceptionally

well, every player. We talked about Daryl Clark and he was influential

but Jamie Ellis had a great run with the first try and he was very

influential throughout? He was absolutely fantastic and this was a

massive moment, off the back of this. The Widnes forwards,

communication at the back, they do not get their numbers right. Lost in

no man's land really, and defending on the outside, he really panics and

he has two come in to help his player out. He dives over for a

great drive. Ellis came in and played exceptionally well, he was

great. We are going to see how well he actually kicks