Warrington Wolves’ Sam Powell on Wigan Warriors snob and Tyler Dupree header

“I had to find a new club (for 2024). But Warrington is a good one, as we found out in such a short time. I really enjoyed myself. And to go to Wembley now to face Wigan… it’s a dream.”

Powell scored his 300th career game, ironically against the Warriors in Saturday’s 19-18 Super League defeat. But the stakes are now much higher. Does Powell have something to prove to Peet who moved him after signing ex-Leeds prostitute Kruise Leeming?

He admitted: “At the time it was hard to accept: the fact that the club told me to go and find another club. But I understand how professional sports work. He wanted to look to the future. So I wouldn’t say I have a point to prove to Matty.

“But his decision has definitely given me the hunger to go away from Wigan and prove to myself that I can be successful elsewhere. They are two great clubs going head-to-head on Saturday. I really appreciate being with Warrington and in another final. I love rugby, I just want to play.”

Wigan are without Tyler Dupree, their England side handed a three-match ban for headbutting former team-mate Powell last weekend. Of that incident, he said: “Things happen in a split second. It’s part of the game.

“My job is to try and slow down the ruck and he tries to play the ball. I don’t really want to comment on that (head). I don’t like people missing big games – but I know how it feels.”

He certainly does: Powell was suspended, completing a six-match suspension, when Wigan won the Cup against Huddersfield at Tottenham two years ago. He claimed a Club World Challenge and two league-leading shields with the Warriors plus those three wins at Old Trafford, but never lifted the Cup. Powell missed out when Wigan beat Hull in 2013 and was on the bench when they lost the Wembley decider against the same opponents four years later.

He admitted: “Most of my family are Wigan fans so someone is going to be disappointed on Saturday! We have an enormous task ahead of us. Wigan are such a great club. I have the utmost respect for them.

“But we’ve got a hungry set of lads here and great people at this club. We’re going to go and give our best and whatever happens, happens. But I’d like to win now.”

Burgess rested most of his squad last week, with Powell one of his few likely Wembley line-ups to field. They almost pulled off another shock win against the largely underpowered World Club Champions. But after his first meeting with his former club, Powell insisted: “I don’t think the game is going to tip too much this week.

“We rested a lot of people and the big positive for us was that we had four debutants: this is how the club wants to grow and if we want to be better as a team and as a club, we need good, strong youth. it was really good to see full credit for these guys too.

“For me, everything around the game before was a bit strange, but when the ball was kicked it just became a game of rugby: it didn’t feel too different to any week.”