"Hull are Wembley underdogs, but I've been bitten by them in a final. Don't write them off"

Hull upset the odds when they beat Tony Smith's Leeds Rhinos side in the 2005 Challenge Cup final. The odds are on St Helens making it three cup triumphs in a row at Wembley on Saturday but the coach tormented by the black-and-whites in Cardiff three years ago is not as convinced as the bookmakers and pundits.

EXCLUSIVE By Tony Smith, England Head Coach

The favourite and the underdog, a scenario not uncommon in the Challenge Cup. It's not uncommon either for the underdog to prevail. Remember the 2005 cup final in Cardiff ? How could I forget ? I was in charge of Leeds and the Rhinos were red hot favourites that day. Hull were in the same position they're in at Wembley on Saturday and John Kear's team came through to win 25-24 in what everybody assures me was a modern day classic.

The underdog can bite alright. You can't presume too much in sport generally and I wouldn't write Hull off just yet. That's the beauty of it. Unpredictability is the name of the game and in finals you don't know whether the team supposedly with the upper hand will turn up, or how the team with the underdog tag will perform on the day. I think it's going to be a fascinating tussle.

There's no getting away from the fact that Hull are up against a St Helens team in red hot form - form as good as any I can recall for a few years - while Hull have had one of their toughest seasons for years. Somehow they've managed to struggle and claw their way to Wembley and Saturday's the shining light of what has been a testing year for them.

In saying that, however, there's absolutely no pressure on Hull. Most human beings falter under pressure at some stage. When you can remove that from players and teams, you often see a great response. I'm sure their coach Richard Agar is working on that basis. They could come out with one of their best performances of the season, and St Helens will need to be on their toes if they do.

As for Saints, you've got to admire not just their form and style but the way they go about their work. They're a tremendous team who deserve all the accolades they receive. They've a great squad and, importantly, a healthy enough squad even with one or two absentees, one that is star studded and international packed team and with some great young players who have worked their way through the ranks.

They've set the bar for many other clubs. But they will need to go out and perform and I'm sure their coach Daniel Anderson will be doing his utmost to sign off in his final year on the right note. I know that won't be a driving incentive for the team or Daniel himself on Saturday, but I'm sure he'd love to leave with the best memories he can. Daniel speaks his mind, is always honest and he has contributed not only to St Helens's advancement these past four seasons but to Super League's overall improvement.

Being the netural am I now, I wish him well and Richard Agar, who is a very astute and promising young head coach for now and the future. I consider both friends and excellent contributors to a great cup competition this year.

In the Super League itself, there's just one match of the regular campaign left before we get to the business end of the season and the top-six play-offs. On reflection, it has been a fascinating seven months of twists and turns, teams at the bottom sometimes beating those at the top, Leeds going out to a commanding lead in the first half of the year and looking unbeatable, and St Helens recovering from an indifferent start to play the way they are now.

I've had a privileged seat this year in watching it unfold and I've admired the rugby league played by all teams. When you're a club coach, you can't fully appreciate just how enjoyable and spectacular the competition is at times. Without relegation, we've seen still seen the demise of three coaches, so the competitive nature certainly hasn't altered.

It's still all about producing winning teams. Every team wants to do their best and finish as high up the table as they can. It's important for them, their supporters and clubs' finances. We've still got interest in the team collecting the wooden spoon but there's been far more emphasis this year on who is going to finish in the top six, which is how it should be.

In stopping each year to watch the road accident at the bottom of the table, eyes were taken off the teams at the top achieving so many good things. We've got the emhpasis right now on achievement and excellence in our sport.

Tony Smith was talking to Chris Irvine.

Comments

[CherryWarrior]

Hey Tony, I love reading your columns! Cya in Melbourne for Australia v England, my tickets arrived this morning! Bring on the Aussies!

[mike hunt]

Nice try Chris forget it though saints will p..s it this year. Arrogant as they are look froward to the day when they loose thier decent players and their frankly awful smelly dirty ground falls down! After all they are like castleford a small town, only in Wigan!!

[Numptyboy]

Cod are more likely to sprout two legs and wear top hats than the Codeads win at Wembley, even though I hope they do.