Tom Briscoe became the first player to score five tries in a Challenge Cup final as Leeds ran riot over Hull KR in the most one-sided decider in the history of the competition.
The England winger went over for four tries in the second half as the Rhinos completed a 50-0 whitewash, eclipsing their 52-16 rout of London Broncos in 1999 as they condemned a woeful Hull KR to the heaviest ever final defeat.
Briscoe’s haul broke the record set by another Leeds winger, Leroy Rivett, who scored four tries in that match 16 years ago, to lift the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match.
Leeds fans among the 80,140-strong Wembley crowd lapped up the nine-try feast but for the neutrals it was a disappointing way for rugby league to mark the 120th birthday of the game.
Too many Hull KR players appeared simply overawed on the club’s first Wembley appearance for 29 years, with 14 of their 17 players experiencing a cup final for the first time.
Leeds, on the other hand, looked at ease from the kick-off as they cantered to a 13th Challenge Cup success and completed the first leg of a potential treble, which would mark a fitting end to the careers of Kevin Sinfield, who made history by captaining a team in a seventh cup final, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai.
Second-rower Brett Delaney set Leeds on their way with a try after six minutes, following up to get the touch after Rovers defender Kevin Larroyer stripped the ball from Peacock as he charged for the line.
Sinfield kicked the first of his seven goals and the game was as good as over when the ruthless Rhinos struck twice more in the space of two minutes.
McGuire supported a half-break by centre Joel Moon to touch down after left winger Ryan Hall ran the ball back straight from the restart, right winger Briscoe weaved his way through a wrong-footed defence on the next play for his side’s third try.
Trailing 16-0 after 18 minutes, Rovers were staring at a record defeat but Hall and Leuluai were both held up over the line as Rovers attempted to weather the Leeds storm.
Former Gold Coast half Albert Kelly, showing little sign of his knee injury other than a heavy bandage, came more into the game but Rovers failed to seriously trouble the Rhinos defence in the first half and there was no way back once Briscoe went over for his second try six minutes after the break.
The former Hull man outjumped the error-prone full-back Kieran Dixon to gather Maurice Blair’s high kick and held off a spirited last-ditch challenge from Ken Sio, racing across from the opposite wing, to touch down after a 90-metre sprint.
Sinfield’s conversion went in off an upright to make it 22-0 and it got worse for the Robins when Leeds replacement prop Brad Singleton forced his way over for a fifth try after 57 minutes.
In a rare foray deep into Leeds territory, Hull KR second-rower Larroyer was held up over the line before Leeds produced another demonstration of slick finishing when Briscoe took Kallum Watkins’ pass to complete his hat-trick after 65 minutes.
The classy Watkins then carved out a try for substitute Rob Burrow and Briscoe finished off the rout with two more tries in the last five minutes as Rovers fell apart.
