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WEMBLEY FOR ME

Stuart Fielden

Friday May 4,2007

By Stuart Fielden

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I’VE been lucky to have played in six Grand Finals at Old Trafford but if it comes down to a choice between the Theatre of Dreams and the Challenge Cup final this year I’d have to say Wembley is the place to be on August 25.

To be part of the first final at the rebuilt stadium would be massive not just for me personally but for the Wigan club with its proud history in the competition.

Everyone is dying to get back – I’ve never played there – and it’s going to be an amazing occasion.

There’s the small matter of beating Super League leaders Leeds in the fifth round tomorrow week. And, if we get over that hurdle, it would be just our luck to draw St Helens.

But the desire and ability is there to go all the way.

This week’s Super League round in Cardiff will whet everybody’s appetite for wanting to reach Wembley because the Millennium is a finals venue and a fantastic place.

I don’t accept the view that taking six matches down there over two days is over the top when they could have had a double-header on the Saturday.

Let’s face it, half of the Super League clubs would not normally get the chance to play on such a big stage.

So, giving them all the opportunity is a great idea and I’m sure we’ll showcase our game, with the added spice of Paul Cooke facing Hull in a Hull KR shirt. I’ve never played there. I missed out on a Challenge Cup final place for Bradford in 2003 through injury, and I’m pretty excited about it especially as we come up against Saints tomorrow night.

They gave us a going-over on Good Friday but we are getting some consistency.

We have to learn from the Leeds example when they deservedly beat Saints.

New Great Britain coach Tony Smith is trying some new combinations for the Test against France next month and resting some players. I will be one of them.

Tony will do a good job – I was impressed with what he had to say when he rang me about the situation. I accept his reasons for leaving me out. I’ve played 120 games on the bounce and never missed an international so I’ll be glad of a weekend off. And to be honest, my form at the moment is probably not good enough anyway.

But it doesn’t matter to me that Tony is an Australian. It is obviously preferable to have a British coach for the national team as it reflects well on our game so it is good that Steve McNamara has got the assistant’s job, with a chance to replace Tony.

There's a rumour that Wigan players will have their heads shaved for Cardiff, and Gareth Hock has the clippers ready.

Nobody is getting their hands on my barnet. I have a very strange-shaped head – camel-like. It would be a disgusting sight tomorrow.