Cunningham's Wembley return

"I've played there and I know how special it is," said the only survivor of his club's 1996 and 1997 Challenge Cup triumphs at the old stadium.

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The 30-year-old Great Britain hooker was as happy as a kid with a new toy after celebrating his 400th appearance for Saints with a Man of the Match performance in Saturday's semi-final against Bradford Bulls at Huddersfield.

"You can't beat Wembley. Cardiff is great, Twickenham is great but Wembley is second to none. Some of the young kids in our team and our coach Daniel Anderson don't know what it means to be going back there after eight years.

"This is like a fairy-tale for me. I couldn't have written the script any better myself. This was my 400th game for the club and I wouldn't swap it for any of the others."

Cunningham has played in six Challenge Cup finals for Saints, picking up a fifth winner's medal against Huddersfield at Twickenham a year ago.

Saints were odds-on to reach their 20th final on Saturday but the Bulls represented a more formidable hurdle than the scoreline suggests.

"It was very tough but we took them on up the middle, stuck to our game plan and showed what we can do in dry conditions,' said Cunningham, who faced an RFL disciplinary tribunal last week, knowing a one - match ban, for alleged 'striking', would have ruled him out of the semi-final.

"I was quite shocked when I was called up. I had an unblemished record, never been in front of the disciplinary before in my career. But I don't think it was in doubt that I would play."

The Saints captain also sang the praises of his understudy James Roby, 21, who played at the old Wembley, in an Under 11s game before the 1997 final.

"Robes clashed heads with Maurie Fa'asavalu in training on Thursday and we thought he was out of the semi with a cracked cheekbone," said Cunningham.

"But he's a tough kid and it just shows the character we have in the side."

Bradford, who have lost their last six cup games against Saints, were in with a shout until former Bull Leon Pryce scored a 70-metre interception try after 68 minutes.

Coach Steve McNamara, said: "We are hugely disappointed. We threw plenty at them but their execution and catch and chase was better than ours. We will now concentrate on trying to win Super League."