Danny Houghton plays down crucial tackle in Hull's Challenge Cup triumph
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Aug 29, 2016
When he comes to games, sometimes he pops in the changing room, the players know he's a supporter.
"England is not something I can control", he said.
Houghton is one of five survivors from the Hull team that lost 16-0 to Wigan in the 2013 final and he says they will draw extra motivation from that disappointment. It's all about small margins.
We'd had a training session at Wembley the day before, seeing it empty was special enough but when you catch your first sight of it on match day you think to yourself "I can't believe I'm going there to play". As we came out, the fireworks went off and there was just a wall of noise and a sea of primrose and blue at one end of the place.
When you start seeing shirts on their way to the game it just builds the excitement and there were thousands of fans outside when we actually got there, singing and cheering as the coach came past.
"You can't fault the lads' effort".
If Hull, held scoreless on their last trip to Wembley in 2013, were burdened by the weight of history, there were few signs early on with Sneyd's clever kicking game forcing the Wolves to do plenty of defending but, once his opposite number Chris Sandow began to find his feet, the momentum shifted. "Hopefully we'll crack on and win the Grand Final".
Houghton provided a tireless display in defence and attack at Wembley, before sealing victory for the Black and Whites in the 79 minute with a try-saving tackle to deny Ben Currie a game-winning try for Warrington Wolves.
Fonua was the first to another of Sneyd's teasing kicks and Shaul was on his inside to take the final pass and score his side's second try.
"I thought he was over", Hill added.
"Ben was devastated but he'll come out a better player". "He's come across me and got me".
"To pull that out of the bag that late in the game having played 80 minutes, that was unreal". We deserved this and it has been a long time coming.
"I can't feel it now but I'm sure in a couple of days I'll look back on it as one of the best weeks of my life".
"Warrington will return to action when they take on Catalans Dragons in the Super 8s on Saturday, and they will head into the contest just a point behind leaders Hull, as they bid to secure the League Leaders' Shield and achieve Grand Final success during the final few weeks of the season".
Although their victory under John Kear in Cardiff was their third Challenge Cup success, the Black and Whites have famously never won at the national stadium.
"We wanted to win the treble, now Hull's the only team that can do that", Currie said.
