Weekend Interview - Dave Craven: Aussie legends Sterling and Kenny remain a great double act

It is a sign of just how big an impact both Peter Sterling and Brett Kenny had on the English game, though, that they are immortalised in this way.

It is equally fitting that Hull and Wigan are playing this historic fixture more than 30 years after they contributed to what is still perceived as the best Challenge Cup final of all time.

It was in 1985 that, fascinatingly, scrum-half Sterling lined up for the Airlie Birds against Wigan stand-off Kenny, his long-time Parramatta Eels, New South Wales and Kangaroos team-mate with whom he formed one of the most potent half-back combinations in the sport’s history.

The sublime Kenny – who only played one season for the Cherry and Whites but is still adored there – came out on top as Wigan edged a classic game 28-24 but only having avoided a stirring comeback initiated by his gifted mate.

They have been reunited again this week in the build-up to this morning’s contest in Wollongong where the duo also spoke, on the eve of the match, at a special fundraising luncheon for Kenny.

Last year he suffered the double trauma of being diagnosed with lymphoma cancer and seeing his step-son Riley suffer a serious spinal injury that left him in a wheelchair.

On being immortalised on the Kenny-Sterling Shield, Sterling admitted: “The name on the trophy was obviously alphabetical. That’s how they decided it!

“Look, it’s a great honour. Again after all of these years to still be held in that esteem has some real significance and it makes us feel real warm inside.

“I was only at Hull one and a half seasons but it was up there with winning my first Premiership with Parramatta and pulling on the Test jersey for the first time. That’s how special my time at Hull was.

“I they going to get the trophy through customs, though. You’re not allowed to take wood out of the country and it’s got some sort of shell on it, too!”

On the game itself, Sterling recalled: “I refer to that day as bitter-sweet. “Obviously going to Wembley and losing was bitter but sweet for the fact it was a great experience.

“And Brett was the difference that day which softened the blow a little bit.

“The support at Hull was unbelievable and the icing on the cake was to play in front of nearly 100,000 people at Wembley, something I never thought I’d get the opportunity to do.

“I know I got more out of my time at Hull than Hull got out of me but it was just so special.”

It was a star-studded side that had won everything in the previous few seasons but was still eluded by Wembley glory, something that would continue throughout the East Yorkshire club’s history until eventually ending the hoodoo in 2016.

Sterling recollected: “We had a young Lee Crooks and a young Garry Schofield.

“They kicked two from seven between them that day – that was costly and I’d like to take them aside for that!

“No, it wasn’t goalkicking that cost us then. We scored fives tries apiece but shouldn’t have conceded five as we did.

“There was too many missed tackles and there was one from me on Shaun Edwards that still haunts me to this day.

“I always remember coming through the tunnel and looking up to just see a sea of red and white at the other end of the field.

“But then I got to the end of the tunnel and the noise nearly knocked me over. It was an actual physical thing; I turned and saw that Black and White support behind us and it was just a huge moment for me. Incredible.”

Sterling had special praise for Steve ‘Knocker’ Norton, the former Castleford and Great Britain loose forward who was so integral to Hull.

“‘Knocker’ was a great joy to play with,” he said.

“I still think he’s the most skilful forward I ever played with and so to go over there and play alongside him was brilliant.

“I was a Manly fan when he was over here back in the 70s so to get that opportunity was great.

“With all due respect, though, I could never quite understand what he was saying. It was like he was speaking out of the Bible... ‘How’s tha guin!’

“David Topliss wasn’t there that afternoon but he was a great influence at Hull at that time, too, a wonderful player.