# 1984–85 Challenge Cup

The 1984–85 Challenge Cup was the 84th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The 1984–85 Rugby Football League season's tournament was known as the Silk Cut Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons. It culminated in a final contested by Wigan and Hull F.C. at Wembley, London before a crowd of 99,801. Wigan won the match 28–24 with their Australian stand-off half, Brett Kenny winning the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match.

## Preliminary round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 27 Jan | Leeds | 68–6 | Bridgend | 3,692 |
| 2 | 29 Jan | Barrow | 12–26 | Halifax | 2,925 |
| 3 | 29 Jan | Salford | 14–6 | Featherstone Rovers | 1,652 |
| 4 | 3 Feb | Doncaster | 6–25 | Wakefield Trinity | 852 |

## First round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 9 Feb | Leeds | 4–14 | Widnes | 6,778 |
| 2 | 10 Feb | Fulham | 4–17 | Halifax | 1,095 |
| 3 | 10 Feb | Keighley | 5–12 | Runcorn Highfield | 837 |
| 4 | 14 Feb | Hull | 52–6 | Carlisle | 4,588 |
| 5 | 17 Feb | Bramley | 16–15 | Blackpool Borough | 614 |
| 6 | 17 Feb | Oldham | 8–14 | Castleford | 6,056 |
| 7 | 17 Feb | Sheffield Eagles | 19–54 | Warrington | 1,479 |
| 8 | 17 Feb | Wigan | 46–8 | Batley | 9,606 |
| 9 | 17 Feb | Workington Town | 28–6 | Dewsbury | 858 |
| 10 | 20 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 11–5 | York F.C. | 463 |
| 11 | 20 Feb | Salford | 31–6 | Swinton | 4,267 |
| 12 | 21 Feb | St. Helens | 3–8 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 9,292 |
| 13 | 24 Feb | Leigh | 14–6 | Huddersfield | 4,297 |
| 14 | 24 Feb | Mansfield Marksman | 10–34 | Hunslet | 1,346 |
| 15 | 24 Feb | Southend Invicta | 18–50 | Bradford Northern | 3,297 |
| 16 | 24 Feb | Whitehaven | 8–10 | Wakefield Trinity | 1,907 |

## Second round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 23 Feb | Warrington | 14–24 | Wigan | 8,614 |
| 2 | 24 Feb | Bramley | 24–10 | Salford | 3,012 |
| 3 | 24 Feb | Castleford | 64–4 | Workington Town | 3,498 |
| 4 | 24 Feb | Halifax | 6–22 | Hull | 9,362 |
| 5 | 24 Feb | Rochdale Hornets | 4–38 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 3,449 |
| 6 | 24 Feb | Widnes | 36–11 | Runcorn Highfield | 5,528 |
| 7 | 27 Feb | Bradford Northern | 13–2 | Wakefield Trinity | 3,413 |
| 8 | 27 Feb | Leigh | 27–28 | Hunslet | 3,780 |

## Third round

| Tie no | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance |
| 1 | 9 Mar | Hull | 6–6 | Widnes | 11,411 |
| Replay | 13 Mar | Widnes | 12–19 | Hull | 11,447 |
| 2 | 10 Mar | Bradford Northern | 6–7 | Wigan | 15,212 |
| 3 | 10 Mar | Castleford | 58–18 | Bramley | 4,357 |
| 4 | 10 Mar | Hunslet | 7–27 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 6,945 |

## Semi final

* 23 March 1985
| Wigan | 18 – 11 | Hull Kingston Rovers |
| Try: Juliff, Stephenson, Gill Goal: Stephenson (2), Gill | Report | Try: Miller, Clark Goal: Fairbairn Drop goal: Harkin |
* Elland Road, Leeds Attendance: 19,275
* 6 April 1985
| Castleford | 10 – 10 | Hull |
| Try: Hyde, Joyner Goal: Hyde | Report | Try: O'Hara, Sterling Goal: Crooks |
* Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 20,982

### Replay

* 10 April 1985
| Castleford | 16 – 22 | Hull |
| Try: Hyde, Roockley, Chapman Goal: Hyde (2) | | Try: O'Hara, Sterling, James, Leuluai Goal: Crooks (3) |
* Headingley, Leeds Attendance: 20,968

## Final

This was the first meeting of Wigan and Hull F.C. in the Challenge Cup Final since 1959 when Wigan won 30–13. The attendance of 99,801 was the highest ever recorded for the Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.
* Saturday 4 May 1985 3:00PM (BST)
| Wigan | 28 – 24 | Hull |
| Tries: John Ferguson (2) Brett Kenny Henderson Gill Shaun Edwards Goals: Henderson Gill (3/3) David Stephenson (1/3) | Report | Tries: Kevin James Steve Evans James Leuluai (2) Gary Divorty Goals: Lee Crooks (2/5) Garry Schofield (0/2) |
* Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 99,801 Referee: Ron Campbell Player of the Match: Brett Kenny
| FB | 1 | Shaun Edwards |
| RW | 2 | John Ferguson |
| RC | 3 | David Stephenson |
| LC | 4 | Steve Donlan |
| LW | 5 | Henderson Gill |
| SO | 6 | Brett Kenny |
| SH | 7 | Mike Ford |
| PR | 8 | Neil Courtney |
| HK | 9 | Nicky Kiss |
| PR | 10 | Brian Case |
| SR | 11 | Graeme West (c) |
| SR | 12 | Brian Dunn |
| LF | 13 | Ian Potter |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Nick Du Toit |
| IC | 15 | Danny Campbell |
| Coach: ||
| Colin Clarke Alan McInnes ||
| FB | 1 | Gary Kemble |
| RW | 2 | Kevin James |
| RC | 3 | Steve Evans |
| LC | 4 | James Leuluai |
| LW | 5 | Dane O'Hara |
| SO | 6 | Fred Ah Kuoi |
| SH | 7 | Peter Sterling |
| PR | 8 | Lee Crooks (c) |
| HK | 9 | Shaun Patrick |
| PR | 10 | Neil Puckering |
| SR | 11 | John Muggleton |
| SR | 12 | Paul Rose |
| LF | 13 | Steve Norton |
| Substitutions: ||
| IC | 14 | Gary Divorty |
| IC | 15 | Garry Schofield |
| Coach: ||
| Arthur Bunting ||