TONY Smith will hand his Warrington Wolves side a couple of days off this weekend, but admits the players will be feeling the pain of not being involved at Wembley for a third successive season.
Wolves’ defeat in the Challenge Cup semi final at Headingley, a third loss at the last-four stage in as many years, means it will be Hull Kingston Rovers who face league leaders Leeds Rhinos in Saturday’s showpiece.
With no game until a week on Sunday – against Hull FC at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, kick off 3pm – Warrington players will experience a rare weekend away from the club.
“They’re going to have a small break, unfortunately, the weekend of Wembley,” said Smith, the club’s head of coaching and rugby.
“They’ll get a couple of days off there.
“It’s an opportunity to freshen them up over the weekend. These guys don’t get too many opportunities to have much of a break and they’ll get a couple of days off.
“It’s pretty much business as usual apart from that.
“There’s certainly no reward for missing out on Wembley but at the same time we’ve got a long turnaround.”
Smith said the break can be used as a positive, although one Warrington would rather be doing without.
“In a horrible sort of way it is,” he added. “You would rather be playing week in, week out and playing at Wembley, but you can use it as a positive.”
One Warrington player who will still have a vested interest in Saturday’s Challenge Cup Final is Ryan Atkins, who grew up in Leeds.
“I’m a Leeds lad so I’ll be cheering Leeds Rhinos on,” said the 29-year-old centre.
“I’m a rugby fan and would be whether I went pro or not. I’ve always loved league and union, so I’ll definitely be watching as a spectator.
“I will be hoping for a great game. One part of me would like to see someone else lift the trophy, but on the other hand I’m from Leeds and a Leeds United fan, growing up I was a Leeds Rhinos fan.”
Atkins also fell under the tutelage of Rhinos’ Jamie Peacock during a spell at Bradford Bulls as a youngster.
“It would be nice for Jamie Peacock, who looked after me at Bradford Bulls, to lift it in his last season before he retires,” he added.
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