Farrell reflects on 1895 cup memories as Eagles prepare for Swinton test
Sheffield Eagles captain Joel Farrell knows the importance of the 1895 Cup and what a win against Swinton Lions can represent for his team in their season campaign.
The Eagles face Swinton Lions this Sunday (3 pm KO) in the 1895 Cup. The South Yorkshire side are currently four wins from four games in the Betfred Championship, a strong form, which captain Joel Farrell doesn’t want to have any distractions for, although he understands how crucial another chance at silverware could be for his side.
Joel said: “If I'm honest, I'm not looking forward to getting away from the league. We’re four out of four, we’re going pretty well, and we have some momentum going with us.
“But the cup is always good to play in, especially the 1895; it’s been a good cup for us in the past, so it will be nice to start another year’s journey.”
Joel Farrell is no stranger to the 1895 Cup; in fact, he won the competition with the Eagles back in 2019, contributing a crucial equalising try in the final. Then, in more recent years, he made a final appearance once again with his Sheffield-based side in 2024, losing out to current Super League titans Wakefield Trinity.
Speaking on the emotions and pride involved in playing in this prestigious cup, he commented that, “Obviously, winning it in 2019 was outstanding. I look back on it now, and it was the best single game I think I've had in my life.
“We went in as underdogs against a full-time Widnes side and managed to get the win. Just thinking back on it now, Anthony Thackerey sprinting down the field after a 1 on 1, Cory Makelim tearing them up as well, Josh Guzdek throwing offloads everywhere, it was just a great experience.
“The night afterwards was a great experience, just having everyone's family around, and what the cup brings out is pretty special.
“Even the 2024 one, obviously, we didn't get the result we wanted against a really good Wakefield side that was ready for Super League, but still, we got to Wembley, we got to experience it, and we made memories with a special group of people. So, I'll always look back on them fondly, whether we win or lose.”
Additionally, he mentioned that, “It's always good to go on a good cup run; it brings a new spark to the season. If you’re hitting a low spot elsewhere in the season, the cup perks you back up because it’s eighty minutes of seeing who’s better on the day; form doesn’t matter.”
Speaking on how the Eagles have been shaping up so far this season, and the elements of their game that could need improvement in anticipation of this Sunday’s important 1895 Cup tie against Swinton Lions, Joel reasserted that, “It's been a great start to the league, we’re four out of four at the minute, we’re going alright, we’re building every week.
“We’re nowhere near the finished product yet, but what we have shown is that we can work hard, we can defend our line, we can do the tough stuff in our games, which is good.
“We just need to sharpen up, and as the grounds get faster, more space will open up, and we can show what we can do with the ball. But for now, we just have to show we can get through these games and get the wins.”
He also added that, “Over the course of the season so far, we’ve shown that we can defend, we’ve got each other’s backs in defence.
“If someone misses, someone will make it; if someone breaks, someone will chase it. So we know, we’ve got that in the bank.
“But I'd like to see our ball movement improve, to be sharper and smarter with the ball, and then finishing in the right places.”
Although winless so far in their campaign, Swinton Lions, like any team in the competition, can be a ruthless opponent if they hit the ground running, which is something that Joel understands his team needs to be well prepared for.
He stated that, “Swinton are still without a win this year, but they can still be dangerous. Everyone’s dangerous on their day, so we’ve got to turn up, we’ve got to respect our opponents, we’ve got to come with the right mindset, and we’ve got to concentrate for eighty minutes.
“Because if you start getting loose and sloppy, people will take advantage of it. Every team in this league is a good team, so we don’t want to be the ones to trip up and lose the game.
“For me personally, I'm just looking to work hard again, keep working hard every week, and keep improving every week. So as a collective and as an individual, we just need to get better every week.”