OF all of the Warrington Wolves players likely to feature at Wembley tomorrow, Toby King is the least certain about who his direct opponent will be.
However, he insists The Wire have “planned for whatever might come their way” from his former club Wigan Warriors as they adjust to the loss of Adam Keighran.
With King holding down Warrington’s left-centre spot, his direct opposite on Wigan’s right would normally have been Keighran until he has hit with a three-match ban for his sending-off during the Super League clash between the two clubs on Saturday.
King admits he is “gutted” for the Australian but whoever is chosen to replace him in Matt Peet’s side, he insists he will be ready to face them head on.
“We’ve planned for whatever might come our way,” he said.
“I know Wigan have got a conveyor belt of young lads coming through so whoever does come in, I’m sure they will do a class job.
“I am gutted for Adam Keighran – you want to see the best players playing in these games so it’s a shame for him to miss out.
“I know I’d be gutted in that situation but the RFL have a process. I’m sure whoever replaces him will do a good job.
“There’s still a little bit to do with our team run, but the main bit of the hard work is done.
“Now it’s just about the journey down as a team – we’ve had a great send-off with a lot of fans turning up – so we’re going to enjoy it.”
With this set to be his fourth Challenge Cup Final as a Wire player, King is something of a Wembley veteran and he has experience of being on both sides of the result.
He was on the losing side as Warrington lost to Hull FC in 2016 and Catalans in 2018, but it was third time lucky against St Helens 12 months later.
Toby King was part of Wire’s 2019 Challenge Cup-winning side having been in the team that lost the 2016 and 2018 finals (Image: Mike Boden)
So has he been asked to impart any of his experience to the first-timers among his teammates?
“The Aussies always ask – they’re very inquisitive,” he said.
“I didn’t realise how excited they were for the Challenge Cup back home – they were telling me that they’d set their alarms and get up early to watch it.
“We’ll get a walk around Wembley before the game I think, so that will be a chance for them to take it all in.
“It’s no place for losers.
“We’ve got to get the job done and I’m sure Wigan are saying the same thing, so it’s going to be a great contest.”
For a while, it looked as though the academy product would not get the chance to walk out at Wembley in the primrose and blue again.
Cast out by previous head coach Daryl Powell, he spent 18 months out on loan first to Huddersfield Giants and then Saturday’s opponents, with whom he won last year’s Super League Grand Final.
It had already been confirmed that King would return to The Halliwell Jones Stadium before Sam Burgess’ appointment as head coach was confirmed, but the centre says his arrival has made his reintegration seamless.
“Sam’s clearly had a massive impact on the environment and making it an enjoyable place to come into,” he said.
“The staff around him have really helped him to make it so good as well as the new signings.
“We’ve brought in the right people, which really helped.
“There was obviously a question mark on me coming back as I didn’t leave under the best circumstances.
“All you want as a player is to be believed in and Sam made me feel that, so it made me feel a lot better about it.
“It’s been like coming to a whole new club. Players wise, there’s plenty of new faces and the staff is pretty much completely different, so it was a new environment for me to come back into.
“I loved my time at Wigan and left there on great terms, so I’m sure it’s going to be a great battle on Saturday.”
Sam Burgess and Toby King celebrate the semi-final win over Huddersfield (Image: SWPix.com)
The 27-year-old will be back on the Wembley pitch a year after being in the stands to support his older brother George – a former Wire prop who was a try-scorer in the 2018 final loss – as he turned out for Hull KR against Leigh Leopards in the 2023 showpiece.
He won’t be able to count on his elder sibling’s support this year – in person at least – and he won’t be letting him forget it.
“I went down there supporting him last year with my other brother and all of our mates,” he said.
“This year, he’s going his Mrs’ Mum’s 60th birthday party – he’s getting a lot of stick for it in the group chat!
“He’s already sent his messages in and he’ll be watching back home so it’s all good.”