SATURDAY’S Challenge Cup Final was a bit of a non-event; a disappointing end to Hull KR’s impressive cup run and not much of a spectacle for the neutrals at Wembley or watching on television.

Outcomes like that invariably trigger a reaction and I have heard plenty saying the Cup is not what it used to be.

The build-up had been wonderful, starting with the unveiling of the statue of the five legends to mark rugby league’s anniversary.

The bronze images of Eric Ashton, Alex Murphy, Gus Risman, Billy Boston and Martin Offiah is a about more than a celebration of those players input into the Wembley showpiece, it is a permanent reminder of the history and folklore associated with the Challenge Cup.

And with it, memories are triggered of other iconic Wembley moments - Don Fox’s miss, Bobbie Goulding’s bombs, David Hobbs’ tries, Joe Lydon’s length of the fielders, Andy Gregory’s cheeky score and Ellery Hanley’s destructive power.

To put the top hat on the build up we had the unbelievably brave rendition of Abide With Me from Lizzie Jones – the widow of Keighley Cougars’ Welsh international Danny who died earlier in the season.

So they were the highlights, then alas the game kicked off.

All that can be said about 50 nil is that it now makes Saints’ 27-0 drubbing by Wigan in 1989 not look as disgraceful on the pages of the history books.

I don’t know what the surprise was – the final went the way everyone expected it to go, heavily in the way of the favourites.

It was a like a training run for the Rhinos at the end, scoring at will and doing their utmost to tease and torment the hapless Kieran Dixon who sadly went to pieces on the big day.

Dixon is not the first player to find Wembley the loneliest place on earth, looking for a shovel to dig a hole out of the place. Sadly for him that tool is probably still in west Yorkshire in Nathan Graham’s back shed.

At the end of the day for every Sheffield beating Wigan, we have ten times that number going the way of the favourites, sometimes embarrassingly so.

And let’s face it - that’s what made the triumphs of Leigh in 1971, Featherstone in 1983 and of course the Eagles in 1998 so special.

And is it not sport that the best team, the most dynamic, skilful, crafty and dominant should win.

And like it or not, in modern rugby league, when one team is so utterly dominant they can really burn teams.

There was plenty wrong with the match and the crowd, but let’s not take a glimpse around the stadium and focus on the empty seats and scoreline and draw the conclusion that the cup is finished and the game going down a spiral of decline.

Surely it is better that the cup is different to Super League Grand Final and that clubs can have a big day and a crack at sneaking a piece of silverware.

It is not a new phenomenon – in the 70s and 80s it was never just the top three clubs going to Wembley.

The cup has worked much better this year, and Hull KR themselves were one of the success stories until it blew up in their faces.

The format must stay the same, but we really should start looking at condensing the rounds and bringing it forward to take place before the school holidays.