Mick Higham:
Mick, your thoughts on the final?
It's hard to put in words, it's an unbelievable feeling. First time in 30 odd years to get there last year and to go back again this year and win it against a team like Leeds, it's a fantastic feeling. It makes you hungry for more. We want to kick on and get the other trophy that's available and hopefully go back next year and retain our trophy. We are a good set of lads, we are all hungry, we all want to work for each other and the change in Warrington, it's really a club that's going places.
Big thing for yourself with injury affecting you last year?
I was fortunate enough to get a chance back in the team last year and this year it's been a bit more difficult, we've got a fully fit squad and everyone is playing well. I was fortunate enough to get the nod on the bench and play my part. But everyone that didn't play, and everyone who was involved played their part. It's a 25 man effort and all the coaching staff. It's just reward.
This must be what you really dream of all the way through?
Definitely. As a little kid from a rugby town where I'm from in Leigh, you dream of these days when you are older and when they come true, you've just got to savour every moment and hopefully there's a few more to come. It's a real great day.
Thanks to everyone for their support.
Homecoming Reaction with Paul Wood
Paul, these are tremendous scenes aren't they?
It's fantastic. Last year we couldn't quite believe it, but this year its absolutely outstanding. Like Tony Smith said to do it two years on the bounce and to bring the trophy back and see as many people as this, it's something very special.
This is an amazing period in your career, you've been here for eleven years, ten years as a first team player and your last two years have been trophy filled?
Yeah, to be at the club for eleven years and then be involved in a Challenge Cup Final and get the chance to play at Wembley. It's been absolutely fantastic, a dream come true. I can't quite describe what it feels like. It's not how I thought it would feel. I tried to build myself up and tried to imagine what it'd feel like, but now I've experienced it, it's surpassed what I've expected.
You came onto the field and it was all up in the air, twenty minutes gone, not much between the sides?
It was nervous times to be honest. When I walked out and we did the line-up, then the song and then we got the chance to meet the special guests, I was trying to take it all in. It was very nervewracking. Then a chance to go on the field after twenty minutes and be involved in it. It was very nervous times but I handled it better than I thought. I was happy and it was a great opportunity to play and fulfil school kid dreams.
Do the nerves diminish second time round?
Not really. The full build up to the week, it's a very emotional week. It takes a lot out of you it's very draining and when you come to the bus journey home, you are very flat and very tired because of the build up. We had the after party last night and to come here, it picks you up again and to see what it means to so many fans, it's absolutely fantastic.
Give us an idea of the preparation for such a final?
As a team, we've been building for 12 months since we brought the trophy home. Our preparation started then so it's a lengthy build-up. The week into the final, we left Warrington on Thursday, went into camp until Saturday. It was basically focusing on the game and spending a lot of time with each other. Talking about what's going to happen, key points, gameplan and who we are going to target. Theres a lot of build up. I can guarantee there's been a lot of hard work and the reward, well we've brought it home.
Do you almost treat it like a seige mentality?
Not really, it's one of those things, we train so hard for this. We came in training in November, put a lot of hard work in, it starts to bring the cup home and hopefully win the Super League Grand Final. It doesn't just start from when we kick a ball in the first game of the season. A lot of preparation goes in.
And this is almost the start of a journey for Warrington, there' still a league game left and there's still play-offs to go for?
That's it. We started in November and our goal was to win the trophies that were available to us. We've brought one of them home. There's still another up for grabs and hopefully we'll put ourselves in a good position to do it. We've still got a Super League game left. We need to win that and we need to perform in the play-offs and hopefully get to the Grand Final.
It would be great to be back here with that Super League trophy?
Oh yeah, it'd be fantastic if we can do that. But it's going to be very hard work. We've done all we can so far to prepare to try and get us there. We'll keep doing that until we get to the play-offs.
And it's back to London again at the weekend?
Back on Friday to play Harlequins and then come back home to prepare for the play-offs but we need a big game.
No comments:
Post a Comment