TYRONE McCarthy’s third Challenge Cup Final appearance this weekend is set to place him in the town’s record books.

McCarthy is due to lead Hull Kingston Rovers into battle against firm favourites, holders and table toppers Leeds Rhinos at Wembley on Saturday.

If all goes to plan, the loose forward would be the first Warrington-born player to captain a side in the Challenge Cup Final for 48 years.

McCarthy, a Wembley winner with hometown club Wolves in 2009 and 2012, would be following in the footsteps of the great Jim Challinor, who was skipper-coach of the Barrow side that lost to Featherstone Rovers in the 1967 showpiece event.

Only last month the 27-year-old helped the Robins end the 2015 cup final dreams of The Wire in the semi finals at Headingley and now could become the first man to lift the silverware for Rovers since Roger Millward in 1980.

The former Woolston Rovers junior, who left Wolves at the end of 2013 to spend a season with Northern Pride in Australia, took over the Hull KR captaincy part way through his first year in east Hull.

His leadership skill caught the eye so that he was the man boss Chris Chester and former Warrington assistant coach Willie Poching turned to after Australian half back Terry Campese was ruled out for the season through injury.

McCathy said: “Through the loss of our huge captain Campo, they asked me to lead the team and to get to do that at Wembley I don’t think there’s many other individual accomplishments that will come up to that.”

Rugby league legend Adrian Morley was McCarthy’s skipper at Wembley when Wolves beat Huddersfield in 2009 and three years later overcame Leeds.

“Moz is an inspirer,” he said. “That’s what I try to do, try and talk to the team all the time in making sure they are all on point together.

“I’m more than happy to keep doing that and to keep turning up for the team.

“To be put into that context and like Moz be leading a team out at Wembley alongside Leeds’ Kevin Sinfield, they’re special players and to just get that opportunity would be fantastic.

“But obviously I want to go there and win too.”

Warrington Guardian:

He is hoping any Warrington fans heading to the national stadium will get behind him and Rovers as they bid to pull off what would probably be classed as the biggest cup final shock since John Kear’s Sheffield Eagles felled Wigan Warriors in 1998.

“I’ve still got lots of friends and family in Warrington and hopefully they do get behind me and support Hull KR,” said McCarthy, who is now living in Leeds.

“I’m pretty sure as the outsiders most neutral fans will be behind us.”

Like McCarthy, Challinor had also won the Challenge Cup with Warrington before going on to skipper another side in the final.

Challinor, only 19 at the time, featured as Brian Bevan’s centre in the 1954 draw with Halifax at Wembley before scoring The Wire’s first try in the famous replay success at Odsal Stadium, when a world record crowd of 102,569 attended.

The former Orford clubman, who made 282 appearances for Warrington from 1952-53 to 1962-63, later went on to coach St Helens to Challenge Cup glory over Leeds in 1972.