Sheffield Eagles: Wembley date 'shows rapid progress of club'

After defeating Batley in the 1895 Cup semi-final, the Eagles will face Widnes at Wembley next month on Challenge Cup final day.

After starting the season with 14 new arrivals following some difficult years off the field, the Eagles have maintained a strong top five challenge, as well as making the 1895 Cup final.

Knowles says making the final underlines the progress the club is making, and he expects it to continue next season.

He told The Star: “This year we hit the ground running and I think we can only progress. To run out at Wembley together is huge, and it will be fantastic for everyone. It is a massive achievement considering where we have come from. There’s more to come.”

After coming through a tough test, the success of their victory was underpinned by a defensive showing which restricted Batley to just two points, something not lost on the former Featherstone ace.

He continued: “Obviously, we knew that we had to work hard for it against a good Batley side, but our defence won us the game.

“To keep them down to just two points, I think we did really well. We trained hard, and worked on how we could trouble them.

“There was a lot on the line, but we didn't overthink it, we stayed composed and that helped us.”