all the struggling clubs currently in the lower divisions and at the foot of Super League. Never stop believing.

Admittedly, Ken Davy's financial support has been magnificent and a real boon to their progress but the way the Giants have made themselves a force after decades of being easy-beats is just heartwarming.

And the fact their squad includes players like Shaun Lunt (ex Workington), Andy Raleigh (Sheffield), Darrell Griffin (ex Conference League), Danny Kirmond (Fev) and the long-serving Eorl Crabtree also spells out a message to every player....keep on striving as you just never know when Fate will smile on you.

Whichever way you look at it, their trip to Wembley is great for the game and ensures a fairytale occasion when they meet Warrington on 29 Aug.

A nice piece in the local paper today with Robbo saying that after the match him and Shaun Lunt were sat in the changing rooms and thinking "are we supposed to be here"

A player who was written off and a player yet to make a name outside the clubs he has played for, on the way to a Wembley final.

It's a shame that in a year where Hull KR make the Super Leauge playoffs for the first time and Huddersfield make a Challenge Cup final after beating Saints that it's been made harder than ever for teams from the lower leagues to gain promotion to the top tier.

I was at the 2002 Buddies Cup Final between Hull KR and Huddersfield at Featherstone and if you'd have told anyone in that ground at the time what their clubs would be acheiving in 7 years time you'd have been laughed at and thrown out of the place! It makes a mockery of the arguement against promotion and relegation, in my opinion.

I stopped reading after that bit mate, (well I didnt but you get my drift); I agree with what you're saying - they have come good and I'm actually looking forward to a CC Final for the fist time in God knows how long, but the chance of it happening without a money man, is a big fat nil.

ever thought there might be a relationship beyween the two points? being able to plan long-term without fear of relegation has enabled both to strive to the level they're now at?

But there [ihas[/i been relegation for promoted clubs to consider until now. Huddersfield only spent one year in League 1, but could quite easily have gone straight back down after being promoted. Same with Hull KR, we survived by the skin of our teeth.

I don't think Huddersfield and Hull KR should be made exceptions because they did things right, it's clubs like Leigh and Halifax that got things drastically wrong that have fuelled the RFL's pro-franchising fire.

Thats exactly what has helped huddersfield, our second season back in SL, when it was obvious we wouldnt be relegated again our recruitment, planning and performance improved on all factors.

Quite. Which is OK if you're in there.

The original post was for those outside of SL to never give up hope; a nice touch but one that is now unrealistic without a money man who is daft enough to fund a 3 year gamble, the outcome of which is decided off the pitch rather than on it.

I'd rather it decided off the pitch, with a set criterea than take the russian roulette of a grand final.

Imagine if Huddersfield had lost the 2002 NFP Final?

did it inspire any of this in 2006 last time they got to the final?

It helped to some extent, but no one thought we would win, and the fact we got smashed undid a lot of the good work

On top of that our season as a whole then was poor, we didnt even make the playoffs so that also dampened things.

This season we are riding high, beaten the holder, going to Wembley and not twickers and our crowds on average are a lot higher again.

To truly spark off the rugby revolution we need the win though.

Thats what i've always said - to really wake this sleeping Giant we need to achieve something or have a bloody good season - either way it should be this is the year !!

I think McLennon in his match previews hit it on the head when he said Huddersfield were on the verge of something big - he said that in our game agaisnt Leeds at home in the league, and we collapsed

Afterwards Browny said he didnt think the team actually thought they could win and that was the problem, clearly against Saints we had the beliefe from minute one that we could beat them

Thats whats happend differently over this season and I think, ultimately McLennon was right, he just maybe had the wrong game.

A lot of Wire fans are suggesting it will mean more to Wire to win than to us, which I think is mad at best (at worst its delusional idiocy that leads to slogans like "year of the wolf"...)

A win at Wembley could mean the pheonix like rise back to life for one of the oldest, most successeful clubs in the game after generations in the doldrums, a win for the Giants couldnt possibly mean more.

Being one of the largest towns in the 'corridor', what would you seriously think your crowds could get to, promotions aside (not a dig), I'm talking hardcore paying public week in week out with a succesful team?

The Giants chose well when they appointed Tony Smith to kick-start their revival - albeit after dipping into the NL comp for an undefeated season - and he built them from the ground up.

They've chosen equally well in appointing his former St George team-mate because Nathan Brown is one shrewd coach, possibly the best in this competition. His gameplan v Saints was spot-on and so was his team selection.

Huddersfield have carried an inferiority complex against the former 'big boys' for a few years but under Brown they're shedding that with their first win at Odsal in aeons, a win at Wigan and now this cup run.

Leeds are their remaining bogey side (I know Smith's Giants won at home in 2003 to panic Hetherington into ditching Powell) and the big test may well come with an Old Trafford appearance on the line.

I wonder if Brown has contemplated the delicious prospect of Giants opposing the Dragons in next year's World Club Challenge yet ? Dafter things have happened but it will depend on whether he can keep minds focussed between now and Wembley.

I'm really pleased for Huddersfield (and Warrington for that matter). No one has shaken up the top two since we were good 3 or 4 years back and it's nice to see a couple of new sides at Wembley.

So why play the game at all?

As a Wakey fan, I should think of Hudds as bitter rivals with a killer hoodoo over my team, but as a rugby league supporter, the weekend just gone has set up a brilliant fixture for the sport, one that it needed to breathe life into the "Mickey Mouse Cup", and also new life into the two clubs that will battle it out to be the holders. Two serious contenders in one final for a change! It's taken a bit of time for both teams, but it is admirable. You have to feel that Hudds have been preparing for the longterm for some years, and Wire have always fallen short of their potential. Two quality Aussie coaches guiding their respective teams to the final suggests there is a serious shortfall of quality British coaches in the game, though.... I digress.

In answer to Robinson and Lunt, yeah, they are supposed to be there. Hard work under an excellent coach will awake this "sleeping giant" and I'll be happy to forget local rivalry for another day to support the Giants in the final. Should be a cracking match!

Lower division clubs will no longer be able to attract the Ken Davy type of investment because location will prevent it , Shall we say Huddersfield were in the Championship and Fax were in SL at this very moment , would mr Davy be happy to bankroll the Giants knowing that the location of his club could potentially prevent them from ever getting back into SL ?

Come off it, you were a club going nowhere when you finished bottom of the league, year after year, and having the year in the NFP breathed new life in to your club.

And I don't say that as a bitter Leyther, I saw that as someone with big family ties to the area and someone who happily ranks Fartown as their 'third team' (would be second if Leigh didn't have a reserve side

).

You'll have to excuse Wire fans. We're still a bit giddy. We know it means as much to you as it does us. We are just desperate

I often wonder if the giants are attracting new fans or just converting them from Bradford?

Either way its great to see 2 new teams in the final...hopefully we can see 2 new teams in the GF (please god Hull KR).

So say, when Ken Davy took over Huddersfield in the lower divisions in 1996, when Halifax were.... in superleague?