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Challenge Cup final: Hull's Daniel Holdsworth relishing Wembley date with Wigan Warriors

Image: Daniel Holdsworth: A fan of the Challenge Cup's knock-out nature

Hull stand-off Daniel Holdsworth is looking forward to facing old teammate Matty Smith in Saturday's Challenge Cup final.

The hard way

It is possible, in theory, to reach the final without ever meeting Super League opposition but Hull have made it to Wembley the hard way, overcoming Wakefield, Catalan Dragons and Warrington to set up a meeting with Wigan in a repeat of the famous 1985 final. Holdsworth never got close to Wembley during his three seasons with Salford but the 29-year-old allowed himself to dream and will realise his ambition in his first season with the Black and Whites. "It's finally here," Holdsworth said. "It's been a bit of a weird one with a four-week build-up to it but I am excited. "In the last few years when I've watched the final, I always thought it would be amazing to get the chance to do that and now it's happening." Holdsworth endured a difficult start to his career at the KC Stadium, where his absence due to head and calf injuries forced him to sit out 12 matches. He was sorely missed, with Hull winning just five of those matches, but his return for the semi-final against Warrington last month proved crucial as he steered his team to victory with a superb kicking game. It earned him the man-of-the-match award but he modestly plays down his own contribution. "That's my job, that's what I'm here to do," he said. "It's what I've done most of my life. "I think I get a lot of credit for stuff that I don't really do. I help out the team as much as I can in the ways that I can but the team deserves a lot of credit too. "We had a lean period in Super League where we lost a few games in a row but no one dropped their bundle, everyone was in every day working hard to try to get their way out of it and we have."

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