Toby King is out to wreck hometown Huddersfield’s Wembley dream - after revealing initially being “hesitant” returning to his other home of Warrington.
The in-form Wolves centre faces the West Yorkshire club in Sunday’s Challenge Cup semi-final at St Helens. Having unexpectedly fallen out of favour with then Warrington boss Daryl Powell, he spent a 12-game loan spell at Giants in 2022. And last year King was farmed out again on a season-long loan to Wigan where, ironically, he won a Grand Final and earned England honours.
It’s little wonder new Warrington head coach Sam Burgess wanted him back at Halliwell Jones Stadium. King, 27, admitted: “It has been a whirlwind two years. I loved my time at Huddersfield. I loved [head coach] Ian Watson.
"It’s a class group there and a class team. I know they’re very good in the Challenge Cup. They’ll be all guns blazing for this semi-final. And it’s weird now I’m going up against my hometown. It’ll be interesting.”
King, who scored 59 tries in 139 games during his first Warrington stint, had signed a bumper four-year deal in 2021. So it took everyone by surprise when exiled by Powell. But King, who delivered a stunning two-try display in last week’s destruction of Hull KR, explained: “Sam’s welcomed me back with open arms.
“He’s been brilliant with me right from the start. I’ve loved playing under him. Obviously the way I left was never good and I’m really thankful to Huddersfield and Wigan. I loved my time there. It was an amazing season last year.
“It just wasn’t working with the previous staff here so I knew it was time to go on. I didn’t realise how much had changed when I came back. It’s like a new environment. Obviously. I was hesitant about coming back. But I’m certainly loving life under Sam Burgess at the minute.”
King, a Challenge Cup winner with Warrington in 2019, was left “gutted” when losing in golden point with Wigan to brother George’s Hull KR side in last season’s Cup semi-final. He hopes to reach Wembley with joint-top Wolves but admitted: “It’s going to be a massive tie.
"Having been there, I know how much Huddersfield want to win this Cup. And they have such a good squad now. They didn’t play how they wanted to do last year but they’ve shown signs this year of what they can do and have some players really finding form.”
Burgess, meanwhile, doesn't like to get too effusive in praise for his players, jokingly describing King's player of the match performance in the 20-8 victory over KR as "alright." And King revealed: "The only time I hear Sam in interviews he's saying ‘it’s Toby’s world.’ It was my 150th game last week and Gaz Chambers asked Sam to do a little talk before.
"The only thing Sam said was ‘he’s unique.’ That’s the best I’ve had out of him! I’ll take it every day."
King took his season tally to six tries with a brace in that match as he helped destroy KR's right edge in a ruthless opening spell which saw the hosts race into an 18-0 lead. He recalled: "I just put it down to some good half-back play to pick the pass. And it’s a centre’s dream to get some good early ball like that.
"I just think as a team we started that first 20 minutes really well. That’s a credit to how we trained. We were buzzing. There’s parts we can get better and in the second half I was just impressed with our defensive mentality to just keep turning them away. Hull KR are a top team now and have to be well-considered as a top-three Super League team. They put 40 points on St Helens the week before so to keep turning them away like that gives us a lot of confidence going into this Cup semi."