Hall of Fame member Barrie McDermott will always be associated with the Challenge Cup at Headingley thanks to his memorable Wembley try in 1999 that helped turn the tide in the favour of Graham Murray's side and end a 21-year wait for the famous trophy to return home but, as the current Rhinos prepare to entre the competition this Saturday against Wigan, for McDermott that Cup winning campaign did not get off to the best of starts. 

As with this weeks game, Leeds took on Wigan back in 1999 in their first game of the competition. It was a repeat of the previous years Grand Final in front of 18,000 fans and the BBC cameras at Headingley. However, there was a dramatic start when McDermott was sent off by referee Russell Smith after high tackle on Simon Haughton. 

In this week's BBC 5 Live Rugby League podcast, McDermott recalled the game and how special the Challenge Cup was for him throughout his career. Commenting on the incident in 1999, the prop joked, "Simon had tore us apart the previous year and we had talked about him a lot in the build up. I have come out of the line and ended up getting myself sent off. Terry O'Connor had come to the referee over immediately after the tackle and said 'Come on Russell, that's got to be a red card!' and Russell Smith replied, 'You're right Terry, it is!" and then waved the red card at me. As I was walking off I was thinking with friends like that, who needs enemies!"

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Despite that set back the Rhinos early on back in 1999, the team never relinquished the lead at any stage of the game.

Before McDermott's untimely exit, good work from big-hitters Darren Fleary and Anthony Farrell, punching a hole up the centre had sucked in the Wigan cover and left an overlap that Brad Godden made the best of, to force his way through for the opening try.

Leroy Rivett added another with an immaculate in-and-out manoeuvre that left the Wigan defence chasing shadows and left Rivett score int he corner. Iestyn Harris produced two quality conversions to both Leeds tries and added a drop goal to further stretch the lead.

However, before the half was over the Warriors had struck back and got to within one point of the home team. Simon Haughton crashed over from close range to even things up, before Kris Radlinski finished off a sweeping passing move that included a clever Greg Florimo long pass to drag John Monie's team back into the game at half time.

Wigan missed the chance to take the lead when Mark Reber dropped a "must score' pass in the second period and after a further Leeds drop goal from Ryan Sheridan and a penalty from Harris the Rhinos again crossed the whitewash.

Marcus St Hilaire backed up a swift break from his forwards before darting over the line between the sticks. The Rhinos next try sealed the affair and Man of the Match, Ryan Sheridan jinked over the line after Brad Godden had been held up just short by desperate Wigan defending.

With Iestyn kicking magnificently a fourteen-point gap had grown which proved too big a mountain to climb. A late try for Jason Robinson from his own high kick provided little consolation for the men in cherry and white.