WITH the Challenge Cup in the bag, Matt Davis thinks there could be “no stopping” Warrington Wolves for the remainder of the season.

A year on from watching The Wire’s Wembley defeat to Catalans Dragons from the stands as a supporter, the 23-year-old was part of the Warrington team that stunned St Helens on Saturday to bring the cup home.

With three games of the regular season still remaining, Davis and his players have some dreadful league form to correct if they are to hold onto second spot in Super League.

However, he thinks their memorable Wembley win could be just the catalyst they need.

“It’s absolutely mad. I can’t believe it,” he said.

“I didn’t think I’d be a Challenge Cup winner a few months ago, so it feels surreal.

“This group of lads really dug in – I could tell from the moment we walked out that we really wanted it.

“I didn’t really feel too nervous because I was so confident about what we were going to do.

“I don’t think there were too many points where Saints were in the game too much.

“We structured the gameplan perfectly and managed to deliver exactly what Pricey wanted us to.

“There’s still a bit of the season to go – three regular season games, the play-offs and hopefully the Grand Final.

“After this, there could be no stopping us.”

Davis came off the bench earlier than he has become accustomed too after Mike Cooper was withdrawn for a concussion assessment.

He says it took him a while to mentally adjust to the magnitude of the occasion but once he did, he had to employ some tunnel vision.

“My job was just to do the little one-per-centers and work my hardest for the team,” he said.

“I think I worked a bit too hard in fairness and missed a tackle.

“Once I got into it and got my head right, I thought I made a few good tackles and some decent carries.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity Pricey and the boys gave me.

“When you’re playing in those sorts of games, everything goes out of the window.

“You can’t think of the atmosphere or the heat, it’s just you and your teammates going at it. It was a battle of attrition.”

Warrington Guardian:

Matt Davis and Jason Clark. Picture by Mike Boden

A Challenge Cup winner’s medal is the latest high point for a player born outside of rugby league’s heartlands in Leicestershire.

Davis only switched from rugby union to the 13-man game in his late teens, but some impressive performances in the Championship for London Broncos earned him his move to The Wire.

He struggled to break into the team at first – starting the season out on dual registration with Rochdale Hornets before returning to the Broncos on a month’s loan.

Since returning, though, he has rarely looked back.

“Last year I was battling with London trying to get into Super League,” he said.

“I definitely feel like I’ve come a long way from starting my rugby league journey at 16 to being at Wembley.

“I used to drive past Wembley all the time and think ‘I want to play there.’

“I was watching the game last year in the stands with my brothers and I always had it in the back of my mind.

“I didn’t know if it was going to come true, especially when I was out at Rochdale at the start of the year.

“I went back down to London, came back and took my chance.”