Sheffield’s Ben Jones-Bishop talks team journey and how a win at Wembley would be the final piece

The AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-finals take place on Sunday, where a trip to the legendary Wembley Stadium awaits the winner.

York Knights and Sheffield Eagles will battle it out in their semi-final at the LNER Community Stadium and Ben Jones-Bishopa man who has played for both sides, is hoping to get back on the big stage with his Eagles teammates.

The Sheffield speedster is renowned for his great try-scoring and saving on the right flank and shows no signs of slowing down as the 35-year-old enters his third season with the South Yorkshire outfit.

The Eagles are currently second in the Betfred Championship with six wins from a possible seven as their focus returns to the 1895 Cup this weekend – a competition in which the club are the inaugural winners.

Looking back on the opening rounds, the winger is pleased with his side’s strong start and believes the unity of the group is at the heart of their success:

“It’s been a good start and it seems like we’ve been playing forever with all the cup games before the league season,” admitted Jones-Bishop, who has scored more than 200 tries in his professional playing career.

“I think we are playing some really good rugby and our only defeat was against a strong Wakefield side last weekend.

“It’s a long year, but we’ve got a healthy squad at the moment and good depth, so it’s all about keeping everyone on their toes and making sure when we (the players) come in, we know we’ve got to play . good.”

Jones-Bishop opted to re-sign for Sheffield late last year on a one-year deal after an already outstanding 44 tries in 58 appearances over two seasons. He also won the supporters’, players’ and player of the year awards in 2023 for his outstanding efforts in the Red and Gold.

In that time, the Eagles have gone from seventh in 2022, to fourth in 2023, and now look set to challenge for the top two spots in 2024. They are also just 80 minutes away from what would be theirs. second appearance at Wembley in five years:

“When we came here, the goal was a trip to get back to the game in the city of Sheffield, which we’re doing now at Olympic Legacy Park. The goal was also to improve and continue to improve, which we did,” explained Jones-Bishop.

“I like the style of rugby we play. We like to move the ball and I can see a lot of it.”

Open and honest, Jones-Bishop is full of praise for the club he now calls home and spoke highly of the people involved at the Eagles – and how he knows Sheffield is the right place for him:

“It was just an enjoyable time. The players are great, the coaching staff is great, the backroom staff is great. It’s a well-run club – we have a great women’s team, wheelchair teams, LDRL and PDRL – and we’re all mixing what’s good.

“And then you look at the pitch where we’re playing attractive rugby at the moment and for me it’s nice to get my hands on the ball.

“I just love to compete. The key is to keep competing. I’ve been on a journey and the team just keeps getting better. We have a good mix of experienced and young players, so it creates a good environment.”

Emphasizing the team’s journey and team spirit, the Sheffield winger has pure determination on Sunday as he admits a place at Wembley Finals Day is once again within reach – both for himself and the club:

“It’s a massive game. You’re 80 minutes away from playing at Wembley, which is a great opportunity to be involved.

“If you can’t wake up for this game then I’m not sure why you’re playing the game to be honest. We look forward; we know it will be a difficult game, but ultimately the prize at the end of it is very delicious.”

Jones-Bishop has extensive experience of playing in major finals, and should Sheffield reach this year’s final, it would be his fourth appearance at Wembley – although he has yet to taste victory there:

“You remember the wins on the way to Wembley but I think the losses are probably the ones that stick out and last a bit longer.

“With my losses at Wembley it would be nice to get back there and try to improve on that. But it’s more about the team and the journey we’re on. Obviously the club has been there and had success at Wembley beating Wigan in 1998 and also the first 1895 Cup in 2019 but it would be great for us to get there again.

“There are players from our group still left from the 1895 Cup Final, so a return for them would be nice, but also for other players to get that chance.”

Jones-Bishop’s last visit to Wembley was with York Knights in the 2021 1895 Cup final – the team Sheffield will face for a final place on Sunday.

The Knights were on the losing side of a thrilling 41-34 try against Featherstone Rovers, with Jones-Bishop scoring York’s opening try in one of his trademark ways.

The former Super League star also featured in back-to-back Challenge Cup final defeats with Leeds Rhinos in 2011 and 2012 during his ‘Golden Era’ and discussed what it would mean to him if he could go on to achieve glory at Wembley. and raise a trophy:

“It would be the final play to be honest. It’s something I haven’t been able to manage in my career.

“It’s a great occasion and great for the family and everyone involved. I was lucky enough to play there a few times.

“It only comes around once a year and the opportunity for part-time players to be able to go and play there – I think it’s great for our sport as long as the 1895 Cup competition continues and the chance to play at Wembley.

“I hope we can experience that.”

Sheffield will make their second trip of the season to the LNER Community Stadium on Sunday, having already played there once this year and winning 32-16 in a Betfred Challenge Cup Round 4 match.

They finished top of the group stage in the 1895 Cup before beating Batley in the semi-finals to reach this point.

But in terms of preparations for their huge game at the weekend, Jones-Bishop doesn’t think anything will change, but is fully aware of what’s at stake:

“We will do exactly the same. I don’t think we’re going to do anything different from what we normally do in terms of preparations. We will train – our first session was Tuesday night. We’ll review last week, get some footage of York and then we’ll be on the field.

“Nothing much changes, especially as it’s our usual routine and a Sunday afternoon game. It’s all about breaking.”

When facing his former club, Jones-Bishop insisted it was a game his side would not take lightly, despite York having won just one game in the Championship competition so far:

“We expect a difficult match. League form goes out the window because it’s a unique, stand-alone game. You win this and you play at Wembley.

“I think form is not something to look at because everyone will be up for it on the day. We expect a strong York.”

Looking ahead to what a successful season would look like for Sheffield and himself, Jones-Bishop said:

“For the team, it’s about being consistent. We finished fourth last year but went out at the first attempt in the play-offs. What we learned last year is about peaking too early and not being able to sustain it towards the end of the year.

“It’s all about learning about what we’ve done. We know it’s hard to be fresh all year round, but it’s about trying to be as consistent as possible and see where that takes us.

“For me, I’m 350 career games in the making, where that would be a nice one, personally. Not sure when it is.

“It’s just a case of playing my part in the team and making sure I’m still doing my best and helping the team win games.

“It’s also about helping the other guys in the squad – eventually I’ll be replaced, so it’s about trying to help the other full-backs and outside backs. If I can pass on some experience or help them, then that’s another aspect of my role now too.

“But first we’ll focus on Sunday’s task.”

Tickets for the AB Sundecks 1895 York v Sheffield Cup semi-final are still available from the official websites of the two clubs.

Photo credit: Sheffield Eagles