It’s the Challenge Cup final this Saturday, with Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves meeting under the Wembley arch.

The sides met in the Challenge Cup final once before, when Wigan beat Warrington 36-14 in 1990 with the likes of Ellery Hanley in the ranks.

This year, they’re two of the best sides in Super League, with just two points separating them, and they’ve stacked with talent.

We didn’t quite see the best of Warrington in the ‘dress rehearsal’ at the weekend, which Wigan won 19-18, with George Williams out through suspension and four debuts handed out to young players.

Although Tyler Dupree and Adam Keighran are now suspended for the final, we should get pretty much the best possible group of players facing each other on one the sport’s biggest stages.

Serious About RL have taken this year’s form, and overall quality, into account, and picked a combined best starting 13 from the two teams.

Challenge Cup Quiz: Name the runners-up from every year since 1996

Challenge Cup: A combined Wigan and Warrington best starting 13

Fullback: Matt Dufty (Warrington Wolves)

There’s an embarrassment of quality at fullback between these sides, with Jai Field a very close second, but Serious About RL have already rated Matt Dufty as the best fullback in Super League, and it is, we think, with good reason.

He’s one of the top try scorers in the league, with eight, but has so much more to his game.

His March was particularly impressive, as he scored in a comfortable victory over Castleford on the first of the month, and followed this up with a late game-winner in a thriller against Hull KR.

His hattrick against London Broncos furthered his spectacular try-scoring exploits, and he shone even in defeat to Catalans.

Overall, however, he’s also managed an impressive nine try assists in a season that has seen the Wolves look like genuine contenders in Super League this season.

This is in no small part down to his incredible performances, surely the finest since joining from NRL side Canterbury Bulldogs in 2022.

Meanwhile, Field has been good this year, but hasn’t backed this up with numbers, which set Dufty apart.

Wingers: Josh Thewlis (Warrington Wolves) and Liam Marshall (Wigan Warriors)

Another key member of the Wolves’ side this year, Thewlis started his career moving between outside-back positions, featuring at full-back often, but has recently made the winger position his own, playing there almost every game this season.

He scored three tries against Hull FC earlier this season, and has got points on the board consistently this year.

In addition, he’s become Sam Burgess’ preferred kicker, which helps with our decision between him and Wigan’s Abbas Miski.

However, the Warriors are represented on the wings with Liam Marshall, who’s currently the top scorer in Super League, and has been on scintillating form consistently for a long time now.

He scored an impressive four tries in the Challenge Cup quarter-final this year against Castleford, and also has excellent pedigree in big games, scoring a hattrick to take Wigan to last year’s Grand Final before then scoring in their victory over Catalans at Old Trafford.

Centres: Toby King (Warrington Wolves) and Jake Wardle (Wigan Warriors)

At Wigan last year, Toby King has kicked on from his Super League winner’s medal to continue his fine form with Warrington Wolves, being an almost ever-present in their much-improved season.

His two tries against Hull KR in Round 11 showcased his attacking ability, while his work with the wingers has proved vital.

Alongside him, we have Jake Wardle of Wigan, another player that’s played for both these sides.

He joined Wigan ahead of the 2023 season, and is undoubtedly one of the best centres in the league.

A highlight of his time at the Warriors was scoring in seven games in a row, including a game where he scored a hattrick in a 50-0 victory over Leeds Rhinos.

Halves: George Williams (Warrington Wolves) and Bevan French (Wigan Warriors)

A horrible decision to make was picking two of George Williams, Bevan French and Harry Smith, but we felt Williams and French were a cut above.

George Williams has risen to stardom, being named in the 2021 World Cup Team of the Tournament, being captain for England, and becoming one of the best halves in Super League with the Wolves, after seven years with Wigan.

He was top of the Man of Steel leaderboard for a long time last year, and has certainly lived up to early expectations, which saw him named 2015 Super League Young Player of the Year.

Bevan French is also in that category of superstar, and will certainly always be remembered at least for his seven tries in one game, against Hull FC in 2022.

Since then, he’s still providing his side with tries, getting nine this season, but his creativity is clear for all to see, and this is backed up by the stats: eight try assists this season puts him right up there with the best in the competition.

Front row: Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors), Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves) and Liam Byrne (Wigan Warriors)

Moving on from the star-studded backs, we have two Wigan props in Thompson and Byrne.

Liam Byrne has found himself in hot water at times this season with disciplinary issues, but has built a successful pairing with Thompson this season, keeping Wigan Warriors as one of the best in the league.

Danny Walker also gets in over Brad O’Neill, who narrowly escaped missing the final after being handed a £250 fine this week.

He’s one of the best hookers in the league: in his over 100 games for Warrington, he’s offered some real quality, and has stepped up in Daryl Clark’s absence, even keeping him out of the team for much of last season.

Back row: Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors), Lachlan Fitzgibbon (Warrington Wolves) and Matty Nicholson (Warrington Wolves)

It was two Wigan and one Warrington players in the front row, and the back row is two Warrington and one Wigan.

Liam Farrell is someone that feels like they’ve always been one of Super League’s standout forwards, and has made over 300 appearances for Wigan since his debut in 2010.

Also an England international, he’s won everything there is to win at club level, and has been involved in huge games almost every year.

Named captain after Thomas Leuluai’s release, he notably scored a hattrick against Hull KR in a golden-point victory in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Wire duo of Fitzgibbon and Nicholson is huge.

Lachlan Fitzgibbon, playing in Super League for the first time this year after nine seasons at Newcastle Knights in NRL, has been an inspired signing.

Alongside the two veterans, 20-year-old Matty Nicholson is another that used to play for Wigan, and came into his own last season, being almost ever-present, before returning to the side in Round Seven this year and securing his place with a string of good performances, including in the Challenge Cup.