Challenge Cup final: Talking points ahead of Catalans v Warrington
Press Association Sport takes a look at the talking points surrounding the 117th Challenge Cup final.
History could be made at Wembley on Saturday when Catalans Dragons take on Warrington seeking to become the first non-British winners of the Challenge Cup.
Here Press Association Sport takes a look at the talking points surrounding the 117th final.
A nation throws its support behind the Catalans
Catalonia is a fiercely partisan region whose calls for independence threatened to cause major ructions but the Dragons' run to Wembley appears to have united the country. President Emmanuel Macron has sent a good-luck message to Bernard Guasch's team and even their arch rivals, Perpignan rugby union club, have agreed to screen the final in their clubhouse in an unprecedented example of entente cordiale. French rugby league has endured some lean periods, particularly during the time of the Vichy government, but a victory at Wembley would undoubtedly provide a massive boost for the downtrodden code across the Channel.
Officials bracing themselves for swathes of empty seats
The Catalans enjoy superb support in Perpignan but the French are notoriously bad travellers and a combination of flight shortage, the peak holiday season and an economic recession restricted ticket sales to just 2,500. There could be around 4,000 in all and the Dragons will have the backing of the neutrals but crowd projections suggest it could be the lowest attendance at Wembley since 54,730 watched Wakefield play Wigan in 1946. That was the only time the attendance has dipped below 60,000 in the last seven decades but the size of the crowd will be a reflection of the diminishing appeal of the showpiece occasion just as much as the disappointing travelling support from France.
Will nerves get the better of the Dragons?
Eleven of Warrington's 19-man squad have played at Wembley, most of them as recently as 2016, so they will know what to expect from arguably the most memorable occasion in the rugby league calendar. On the other hand, just three of the Catalans players have previous Challenge Cup final experience and there must be concern that the occasion will get the better of them. However, there were few signs of nerves when Steve McNamara's men produced a stunning performance to knock out hot favourites St Helens in front of a sell-out 28,000 crowd at Bolton earlier this month.
A fairytale start for Steve Price
Australian Tony Smith guided Warrington to Challenge Cup final glory in his first season as head coach and his fellow countryman Steve Price has the chance to emulate him. A bottom-four finish in Super League in 2017 cost Smith his job and Price did not have the best of starts as the Wolves lost four of their first six matches but the former St George Illawarra boss gradually turned the under-performing team into potential trophy winners and they are also handily placed for a tilt at Old Trafford.
Steve McNamara proves his critics wrong
The critics were queuing up to call for McNamara's head after the Dragons won just three of their opening 13 Super League matches, this after needing to win the Million Pound Game last September to preserve their top-flight status. But owner Guasch kept his nerve and his faith in the former England boss and his loyalty has been repaid handsomely as he gets to lead his club out at Wembley. McNamara needed to eradicate deep-rooted problems in the culture of the Catalans club and, although for a long time he looked to be fighting a losing cause, their Challenge Cup run suggests he is well on the way to winning the battle.
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