16 June 2023 , 17:00
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He’s heard all about Hull’s past Challenge Cup exploits but Ligi Sao is now out to write his own history.
In his fourth year at the East Yorkshire, the powerful Samoa forward has made Hull his home. The ex-New Zealand Warriors prop has signed up for another two seasons he loves it so much. But Sao has still to lift some silverware with the Black and Whites - and emulate the feats of colleagues Danny Houghton, Scott Taylor, Carlos Tuimavave and Jamie Shaul.
They all famously won the Challenge Cup with Hull in 2016 and Josh Griffin joined them to claim it again 12 months later. They must overcome World Club champions St Helens in Saturday’s quarter-final to have any chance of progressing to Wembley again. But Sao, 30, is desperate to get in on the action.
He said: “That’s why we play: to be in these Cups and the big occasions. It was awesome what the club did back in 2016 and ‘17. I still hear stories about it, not just from the fans but some of the players here who played in those games who are still around now. Hearing those stories, it does give you the drive to be in those big games yourself. That’s where I want to be.”
Hull have overcome a miserable start to find some form under Tony Smith, winning four of their last six games ahead of the big Cup showdown. But Super League champions Saints have ominously found some rhythm of their own - and they have beaten Hull in each of their last 15 meetings dating back to 2017. Sao conceded: “Saints have always been a good side ever since I came here.
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"But those are the sides you want to come up against as a benchmark to see where you are at as a footy player. The big teams like Saints, Catalans and Wigan always provide you with that. It’ll be a great challenge and it will let us know where we’re at.”
Hull FC's Ligi Sao in Magic Weekend action against Warrington (Anna Gowthorpe/REX/Shutterstock)Crucially, Hull are without their talisman Jake Clifford after the Aussie scrum-half failed an HIA in last week’s loss at Leigh. That makes their task all the more difficult but Sao need only look at last year’s World Cup to realise anything is possible. He originally missed the cut for the Samoa squad but was a late call-up just a week before the tournament kicked-off - and ended up playing in the Old Trafford decider as the Pacific nation reached their first-ever World Cup final.
Sao said: “Exactly. You just never know. I mean who’d know what the chances were of me playing in a World Cup final? And it happened. It was one of those pinch yourself moment. Obviously the World Cup is a shorter stint - like the Challenge Cup - while Super League is a longer season.
“But you try to be at your best every week. That’s one thing we’ve introduced now as a group, over the years: be at our best every week and let the back end of the season sort itself out. It’s always a great challenge going up against the Saints pack but we’re looking forward to it.”