Kevin Sinfield has claimed that his previous Challenge Cup heartache only strengthened the feeling of joy felt when lifting the trophy last year.
The 34-year-old was part of the Leeds Rhinos squad that went all the way by seeing off Castleford Tigers at Wembley 12 months ago.
Ahead of this weekend's final against Hull Kingston Rovers, Sinfield has revealed what it was like to experience his fair share of anguish in the competition.
"There's been a few moments in this competition that have haunted me," he told the Yorkshire Evening Post. "You grow to deal with certain things though and I've dealt with everything it has thrown at me now. I believe everything happens for a reason and there's been some tough times in this competition.
"You walk away thinking whether you want to go through it all again – and question whether it's easier to go out in an earlier round to avoid the pain of losing at Wembley. Getting that last year was all about persevering and not giving up and we got to taste what it's like to win the Challenge Cup.
"I'd stopped thinking about what it would be like to win. In your first couple of finals you think about it and how lucky you'd be, but I got to the stage where I just decided to forget about it and not worry about it too much. I just wanted to experience winning so much and get the feeling of being vindicated and satisfied. Those moments are very difficult to come by in your career."
Sinfield will set a record for the most Challenge Cup captaincies should he run out against Hull KR.
Daniel Lewis
