Warrington to face Wigan in Challenge Cup quarter-finals

Hull will have another home tie but are guaranteed a sterner test against Castleford

The two teams met in last year's First Utility Super League final (Getty)

A repeat of the 2016 Grand Final and a clash between the holders and the Super League leaders are the highlights of a mouth-watering Ladbrokes Challenge Cup quarter-final draw.

Hull, who made a convincing start to the defence of their trophy with a 62-0 rout of Catalans Dragons on Friday, will have another home tie but are guaranteed a sterner test against Castleford, who were 53-10 victors over St Helens.

The Black and Whites ran out 26-24 winners over the Tigers in the league last month and are just a point behind them in the table.

Warrington, who were runners-up to Hull at Wembley last August, will have home advantage against record 19-times winners Wigan in what will be their fourth meeting in eight months.

Wigan followed up October's Grand Final triumph with a 38-16 league victory at the DW Stadium in March and the local rivals will play each other on the opening day of the Magic Weekend in Newcastle next Saturday.


 Warrington were runners up last year 
 (Getty)

"We don't get to play Wigan enough this year," Wolves head coach Tony Smith quipped. "It's going to be fun. We will know each other pretty well by then. We bring the best out in each other.

"We're happy to be in the draw and it's nice to be at home.

"We'll see what sort of bodies Wigan have by then and we'll see who we have. We've got another Easter before then which could decimate both teams."

Leeds, who have played League 1 opponents Doncaster and Barrow so far in the competition, will again have home advantage against part-time opposition after being paired with Championship high-fliers Featherstone, with whom they have a dual-registration agreement.

In the other tie, Salford will be at home for the third successive round, this time to Wakefield, who were semi-finalists in 2016.

All the ties, which will be played from June 15-18, will be televised live, split between the BBC and Sky Sports.

Warrington 34 Widnes 20

Kevin Brown knocked his old club out of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup with a virtuoso performance in Warrington's gripping 34-20 sixth-round win over Widnes.

The England stand-off was roundly booed by the Vikings fans still angry over his decision to leave them in the close season for their arch-rivals but he had the last laugh with a sensational hat-trick of tries.

The Wolves needed all the craft and experience of the former Wigan and Huddersfield captain to help them see off a gritty Widnes team that made light of a crippling injury list to push them all the way in an absorbing tie at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Swinton 12 Wigan 42

Wigan ran in eight tries as they overpowered Championship side Swinton to book a Ladbrokes Challenge Cup quarter-final date with Warrington.

The Warriors led 18-0 at half-time thanks to tries from Joel Tomkins, Liam Farrell, Joe Burgess and Liam Marshall, but the Lions were far from embarrassed in the opening 40 and could have been in this game had Mike Butt been awarded two tries in the corner.

The hosts deservedly got on the scoresheet just after the break through Grant Gore, but that failed to slow down the visitors as Burgess grabbed his second and Tom Davies, Josh Ganson and Nick Gregson all went over.

Leeds 72 Barrow 10

Joel Moon grabbed a first-half hat-trick as Leeds eased into the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup with a 72-10 win over competition minnows Barrow.

The Betfred Super League giants virtually assured their place in the last eight draw with four tries in the opening 17 minutes and went on to score 13 against their Kingstone Press League One opponents.

Moon's treble was supplemented by tries from Matt Parcell, Ash Handley and Ryan Hall before half-time, while Barrow's sole and much celebrated first-half reply came through winger Luke Cresswell.

Handley, Stevie Ward, Liam Sutcliffe, Robbie Burrow (two), Parcell and Galloway added further tries after the break, while Sutcliffe added 10 successful conversions.

Jarrad Stack crossed for the Raiders in the second half and Karl Ashall's goal took them into double figures.

PA