The Challenge Cup is a big deal any year, but there can have be few recent ties that have carried as much importance as Friday night’s clash between Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos.
While rugby league’s glittering prize has never been secondary, over recent seasons the ever-improving Giants have always had other targets to shoot for.
Winning the 2013 League Leaders Shield is the prime example, and the hope of finally cracking the play-offs and reaching a Grand Final has become an annual fixture for Huddersfield.
The same applies to Leeds who have been in the frame for winning silverware for so long that it is pretty much inconceivable that their name will not appear somewhere on a season’s honours list.
However, this year that could be set to change for the side that fails to progress from the sixth round showdown at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Holders and treble winners they may be, but should Leeds find themselves ending up with a similar result to last week’s Super League meeting between the teams at the same venue, it is possible that the Headingley club may play out the final weeks of the season with only their Super League status an issue.
Leeds will still believe that a top eight place can be earned, and with it the chance to make a go for another Grand Final.
Huddersfield will rightly believe they can achieve the same and get themselves a first run-out in the Super League showpiece.
However, right now the tangible reward for either club in a season of shocks and struggling in the bottom four, is to target a big day out at Wembley on Saturday, August 27.
As they enter the competition, the first step is a huge step for the West Yorkshire rivals.
It could be a classic, or more likely a nervy affair, but there can be little doubt that respective head coaches Paul Anderson and Brian McDermott – former teammates in Bradford Bulls ‘awesome foursome’ along with Joe Vagana and Stuart Fielden – will not want to see one backward step in the entire 80 minutes.
For the winner not only will Wembley be one step closer, but they will also have disposed of a major obstacle in their way – it should be a genuine thriller!
The supporters of York City must be absolutely livid.
Apparently some of the most important issues of the 2015-16 football season have been hugely influenced by the reburial of regal bones.
Despite the attacking artistry of Riyad Mahrez, the goalpower of Jamie Vardy, the midfield prowess of Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante, the defensive leadership of Wes Morgan and the inspiring guidance of manager Claudio Ranieri – and the supreme efforts of the entire Leicester City squad – according to some accounts the real reason that the Foxes have won their first English title is that the remains of Richard III were removed from a car park and placed in Leicester Cathedral.
This is of course Richard of York, the King of England from 1483 until his death in 1485, at the age of 32, at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
As the head of the house of York there was an argument that his recovered remains should have been interred in York Minister, but that battle was won by the pro-Leicester lobby – and look what has happened.
As a result the players of Leicester City have been imbued with superhuman powers that have gained almost mythical standing in most of our national media in the past few months.
For the supporters of the Minstermen their failure to bring the kingly bones to Yorkshire have led to the club losing their Football League status.
However, given that the king reputed to have been so badly slighted by playwright William Shakespeare was born at Fotheringhay maybe Peterborough United fans are also ruing their luck too as had Richard been returned to his birthplace they might not have ended the season scratching about in mid-table in League One.
Anyway it would seem that Leicester City have set a precedent.
No not for showing that astute team planning, a strong work ethic and playing to your strengths is the way forward, but for gaining the biggest prize in the land on the basis of having the outrageous good fortune to accrue some kind of mystical royal seal of approval.
Even now officials and fans of Yeovil Town are doggedly searching for the Isle of Avalon, believed to be in their neck of the woods in Somerset, in the hope that they can fire up a promotion push from League Two next season once they have found the final resting place of King Arthur.
