So whats everyones thoughts?

Pretty sure we’ll have booked a semi spot by 10pm Friday night.

Warrington – Wigan. Im gonna go with Warrington to edge this one. Both teams really poor at the moment so literally the home advantage is the swinger here.

Salford – Wakefield. Im gonna go Wakey based on our match last Friday. Think they will be too strong for Salford.

Hull – Cas. No brainer. Cas look unstoppable at the moment and will get all the way to Wembley.

If we can avoid Cas in the semis Im confident we’ll get to Wembley this year but if the draw goes the wrong way I don’t think we have an answer to Cas so far this season and probably wont next week either.

Cas – Leeds final. Leeds to win 1 nil

Yep, Leeds through.

Wire Wigan's a tough call. I think the pies might take the gambler's chance and jab a few of theirs for this one as their missing the play offs looks increasingly likely. If so, I'd take them to scupper wire.

I'll take Salford. I know Wakey have played some good stuff and rested players in preparation for this one but I've just a sneaky feeling that the more they psych themselves up the less well they're likely to perform. Better in the underdog role in other words.

And I'll take Hull to beat Cas who might just need a plan B against a seriously motivated defence. Do they have one? And Hull can defend well if they're minded to do so. They're also defending holders which makes it even less likely they'll just roll over.

Might easily be wrong on at least three of the above and am looking forward to a good weekend of RL.

Think Fev will give us a tough game and might not be as easy as some might think but we will win.

Other 3 are very tough to call. Both Wire and Wigan are so low on confidence right now, think Hill is looking likely to be suspended and rumours that Wigan could finally have a few back including Sam T and Bateman. If they do I think Wigan will edge it but probably a scrappy game given both teams lack of form.

Salford vs Wakey, Salford have slipped last 2 weeks, maybe had one eye on this? Got a feeling they'll edge this.

Hull vs Cas, depends what Hull turn up this week. Very good last week and beat Cas with 12 men earlier in the year. Have thrown in some shockers at home too though but I think the confidence they'll have from winning last year will help them like it did us in 2015 and Warrington when they won 3 in 4 years. Hull to edge it

Semis
Hull vs Leeds
Salford vs Wigan

But as Clearwing says above, could've easily gotten all the other 3 QF's wrong.

Either way we've gotten 3 extremely tough to call QF's and possibly going to have 2 very tough to call SF's, that's a good thing for the sport.

What the dickens were Warrington doing the last 90 seconds with their kicking? They properly naffed it up.

Ha they certainly did



Never fancied Ratchford with the kick from half way you could tell he was not confident, now if a certain Mr Sinfield was around....he lived for those moments.

Can't really blame Patton its just one of those moments that make you stronger as a player, he will learn.

Although it was littered with errors for a fair weather game, i actually enjoyed that game as much any in SL this year and the end was fun although i feel for the Wire fans.

Lets hope Wig get tomorrows victors. Id take any of Wig, Cas or Hull in the final. Just want to get there.

Dont want to get ahead of ourselves but yes i agree a final against any of those would be great. Can't write Salford off though, all the sides left now have a genuine shout for winning the cup this year.

I would rather have Wigan in the semi, last 2 CC finals we faced a smaller team who bottled it, I think Salford or even Cas could crumble under pressure
I dont think we would beat wigan at wembeley but probably would at a neutral ground

It's a big call but I think Hull are going to win today.

I'm not really too bothered who we play in the semi, it's going to be a decent team however the draw goes, I just hope Wigan don't make the final.

Wembley is a neutral ground.

I too think Ull will beat Cas today

The fear that is Wigan is already spreading I see.

It's nailed on that we're going to get the winner of today's game. The crowds will be dire if there's too much travelling involved so the Yorkshire and Greater Manchester teams will be drawn against each other.

They'd have to play a lot better than they did yesterday if they want to win their Semi Final, whoever it is they play. It was an interesting watch yesterday because it was close and it represented two big teams only real chance of silverware but quality wise it wasn't great and quite scrappy at times.

Will be interesting how Wigan approach the rest of the season. If they do enough to avoid bottom 4 but are well off the top 4 coming up to the split I can see them just throwing all their eggs into the CC (they haven't been to Wembley for a few years now) and resting big guns for the semi and potential final.

Nobody wants to see wigan in finals because nobody likes them apart from their fans but you keep believing it's fear

Warrington were yet again woeful but Wigan only beat them by one point & could easily have lost.
However, all their returning players will have benefited from the run out so that should see an overall improvement in their play.
If we do get Wigan in the semi, I'd rather lose to them at that stage than in the final.
But if we do meet them then & we play as we have been & they play as they've been then I'm confident we should win.

Lets be honest, there is a little bit of fear. Wigan know how to win finals, even when they are not playing well. That's why they are champions at the moment.

Also, look at the last time they won the Challenge Cup final. They played like utter rubbish. Somehow, Hull managed to be even worse and Wigan lifted the trophy. They just have that knack.

Not from me. Wigan were improved yesterday but looked very beatable. Cas worry me more, then Salford as a bit of an unknown quantity who might just spring a nasty surprise.

I'm not looking past our last final victory and who that was against



No, i do agree with you though in general, and it may well be the only thing for Wigan to focus on come August if they don't start picking up results in SL so with a likely full squad available by Wembley they would be tough to beat for anyone.

We know how to win finals

It's difficult to read too much into yesterday's game, as there were so many players coming back into the team. The only thing you can say with any degree of certainty is that Warrington are rubbish.

We know how to win finals against Leeds (2015 excluding

).

What is it, one major final win in 40 years without Sinfield?

Or without Burrow, McGuire, JJB etc.. i get why you bring it up, Sinfield is huge for us in those games, but until we start getting to finals again (hopefully this year) and seeing how we handle them now, it is a moot point.

Yeah spot on. Unless we're bringing back Schofield and co from the 80/90's then doesn't really matter going back that far, it's about what current squads have done.

Not all, he was instrumental in us winning finals. Without we would not have won one. But the more apt point is, there is nothing to say we know how to win finals without Sinfield, far from it, as our record proves.