Hull KR and Wigan Warriors’ journeys to Saturday's showpiece event started with emphatic whitewashes of two brave lower level sides.
Castleford amateur club Lock Lane requested to switch the venue of their Round Three clash to Sewell Group Craven Park, and despite a gallant effort against the competition holders fell to a Robins club record 104-0 defeat.
Full-back Jack Broadbent and young winger Harvey Horne both scored hat-tricks, with Tom Davies and Jack Charles touching down twice and Rhyse Martin finishing with 16 goals.
Wigan, meanwhile, made the short journey to Betfred Championship side Rochdale, helping to boost the crowd to 4,248, Hornets’ biggest home attendance since 1998.
Both sets of supporters were thoroughly entertained by a professional Warriors performance that saw Zach Eckersley, Jai Field and Jake Wardle all score hat-tricks in an 83-0 win.
The unlikely drop goal came just before half-time when Bevan French mistakenly thought the scoreboard clock - having ticked towards 40 minutes - was the official time, while Adam Keighran slotted 11 goals in an emphatic display. It would prove tougher for Matt Peet’s side in Round Four, although they were still comfortable 30-6 winners over Super League peers Bradford Bulls.
In the first time the clubs had met in the competition since 2011, Wigan cruised into a 20-0 interval lead thanks to first-half tries from Luke Thompson, Eckersley and Liam Marshall, before Keighran made sure of victory after the restart.
Ethan Ryan grabbed Bradford’s consolation but the match finished with a debut try to Warriors winger Dayon Sambou.
At the same stage Hull KR were again comprehensive winners at Huddersfield Giants, Mikey Lewis’ two tries helping them to a 52-12 win on the road.
The Robins had nine different try scorers in total and another eight goals from the metronomic boot of Martin, with Taane Milne recording the two responses for an injury-hit Giants.
The one-way pattern for Willie Peters’ side continued into the quarter-finals, where they brushed aside York Knights 48-10.
The tone was set after just 90 seconds when Tyrone May - who would finish with a hat-trick - touched down, and further efforts from Sauaso Sue, Broadbent and Jai Whitbread had them 18 points ahead at the break.
May’s second and third, and tries to Lewis and Joe Burgess, confirmed the Robins’ place in the final four. It was much less straight forward for Wigan, who had to battle past Wakefield Trinity in a gripping televised clash that finished 26-22 to the Warriors.
They had to recover from an early 12-0 deficit after tries to Jake Trueman and Ky Rodwell, with Patrick Mago and Marshall drawing the visitors level.
After Tom Johnstone had put Wakefield back ahead, they lost key forward Jazz Tevaga to the sin bin, and by the time he returned Field and Eckersley had the Warriors in front.
Wakefield levelled again through Cameron Scott, but Eckersley’s second and a crucial interception by Junior Nsemba in the closing stages eventually saw Wigan through to the semi-finals.
There, the Warriors took on rivals St Helens, who had beaten them in a dramatic late climax in the league on Good Friday.
This time, however, the Warriors were comprehensive winners, with young half-back Jack Farrimond setting them on their way after eight minutes.
Winger Eckerley’s prolific competition continued with two tries in three minutes - taking him to nine for the year in the Challenge Cup - before Wardle’s vital interception right on half-time had his side 22-0 ahead at the break.
Saints continued to push forward only to be repelled by some outstanding Wigan defence, and late tries to Farrimond again and Keighran booked their place at Wembley.
Twenty-four hours later they were joined by a Hull KR side who similar took control of their last-four clash with Warrington Wolves in Doncaster.
The Robins were 14-0 ahead with early tries to Joe Batchelor and Burgess, before Ben Currie’s response closed the gap at half-time.
But Hull KR would not be denied, and a scrum-based try to Oliver Gildart was followed by late seconds for James Batchelor and Burgess, securing their place in Saturday's decider in style.
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