Liam Farrell aims to maintain Wigan Warriors record amid Sam Burgess’ Warrington revolution

Just weeks from turning 34 and having won 14 major trophies, Wigan captain Liam Farrell could be forgiven for balking at another bid for silverware.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The veteran England second-row leads his hometown club into Saturday’s Challenge Cup final with emotion oozing from every pore.

Wigan have never lost a major final against Warrington, thriving in all eight encounters so far. Farrell featured in three of them, all Grand Final deciders, as his club irritated and frustrated Wolves at every turn.

He has no intention of seeing that run end here and claimed he is still getting paid the same amount as when he won the first of his three Challenge Cup successes in 2011.

Farrell said: “One hundred percent. As I’ve gotten older and more experienced, I’ve realized that I don’t come that often. Early in my career, ’11 was my first (final) and then I got one again in ’13, so they came pretty thick and fast.

“But we had a period where we didn’t get that many, so you have to enjoy them, the whole week not just the day. It’s a completely new group, a fresh group and one that hasn’t just been to Wembley, so we’re excited.”

Farrell managed Wigan when they lifted the Cup at Tottenham two years ago. But he would love to lift him as captain for the first time at Wembley on a day when the sport also celebrates the late great Rob Burrow, his former England team-mate.

With reigning Super League champions Wigan having already beaten NRL giants Penrith in the World Club Challenge and marching hard to this point, it’s easy to see why they’ve been installed as ½ favourites.

But under Sam Burgess, Warrington are an impressive beast in 2024. “Sam was just a fierce competitor,” Farrell recalls of another former England team-mate. “As he did his game, he was totally uncompromising.

“Some of the attributes you see in some of the best players, he’s provided all of that and I suspect he brings that into his coaching philosophies as well.”

Farrell, a six-time Dream Team pick, admitted: “I can see the influence he’s had on them: they seem like a team that wants to play for each other, they’re serious, they don’t quit, and they look like they want to play and win games.

“He did a really good job with them and we know we’re up against tough opposition. Every time we face Warrington it’s a tough game, as we saw last weekend (Wigan won 19-18). It doesn’t matter who plays for them.”

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