Challenge Cup specialists of the last three years meet in this year’s semi-final

Ladbrokes Challenge Cup holders Hull will face 2014 and 2015 winners Leeds in this year’s semi-finals.

Lee Radford’s side booked their place in the last four for a second successive year with a superb 32-24 win over Super League leaders Castleford at the KCOM Stadium on Sunday.

The other semi-final will see Wigan, the record 20-time winners, take on surprise package Salford.

The games will take place over the weekend of July 29 and 30.

Hull appear to have acquired a taste for the cup after finally breaking their Wembley hoodoo by beating Warrington in last year’s final, a first victory at the national stadium in nine attempts.

Leeds ended their own run of six successive final defeats when they beat Castleford in 2014 and they followed up by thrashing Hull KR in the following year’s showpiece.

They eased past Championship side Featherstone 58-0 on Friday to claim their semi-final spot.

Wigan beat Warrington 27-26 in a dramatic quarter-final on Saturday. Sam Tomkins, returning from a nine-month injury lay-off, kicked the decisive drop goal and will now face brother Logan in the semi-finals.

Sam Tomkins told BBC Sport: “They have got a lot of talented players, they are a good set-up. It’s taken a bit of time to really get some consistent form but they’ve got it at the moment.

“I would have liked to have avoided Salford so there was a chance of playing Logan at Wembley, but we’re looking forward to it. Whoever we were going to play was a tough game.”

Salford, second in Super League after narrowly avoiding relegation last term, are enjoying a revival.

Their convincing 30-6 quarter-final win over Wakefield on Thursday put them into the semis for the first time in 19 years. They have not appeared in a final since 1969 and last won the cup in 1938.