Matt Gidley spoke to Adrian Proszenko as he prepared to return to Wembley for the Challenge Cup final next Saturday.

The Sun-Herald: How big a deal is it to play for St Helens in another Challenge Cup final at Wembley?

Matt Gidley: It will be fantastic. I was lucky enough to be part of it last year when we won it at Wembley. It's a fantastic stadium to play at with lots of history. I'm fortunate I'm part of such a great team and get to play there again this year.

SH: At 31, you've achieved pretty much everything in your career, from playing for the Kangaroos to winning an NRL title. Where does a Challenge Cup final win rank?

MG: It's certainly right up there. The Challenge Cup is held in very high esteem over here in England. I can remember growing up and watching a few of the games [on TV]. The boys all speak about the esteem it's held in, so we all hope we can perform well again.

SH: The competition itself is unique. It goes for eight months and involves almost 100 teams, including sides from France and Russia. There's nothing quite like it in the NRL, is there?

MG: Everyone gets an opportunity to compete in it. We played a few teams involved in lower divisions but they were obviously excited about facing a Super League team. It's an opportunity for the lower-division players to be spotted by Super League clubs looking to recruit players.

SH: Who are more parochial - Newcastle fans or St Helens fans?

MG: They are really similar. St Helens is similar to Newcastle in that they're working-class towns and rugby league is their No.1 sport. They both get behind their team. They [St Helens fans] support us home and away all year and I hope we can repay them at Wembley.

SH: Beating Leeds, your traditional arch-rivals, to get into the final must have been a massive confidence boost.

MG: It was. They are one of the big sides over here and we were lucky enough to beat them in the semi-finals. We also understand we are up against Hull, who are a quality side, even though they haven't performed very well in the Super League this year. They've recognised they can't make the play-offs there, so they've had an eye on the Challenge Cup final for a number of weeks now. They will turn up and play well.

SH: Is it fair to say that you'll need to shut down Adam Dykes and Shaun Berrigan to beat Hull?

MG: I think so. They're the playmakers and while they've been out injured at different stages during the year, Hull have kept those two boys in cotton wool in the lead-up to the Challenge Cup final.

SH: Daniel Anderson has won just about everything with Saints over the past few years. Are you surprised he's still without a job for next season?

MG: He's done a fantastic job at St Helens. We've obviously got a good side here but it's obviously a good reflection of Daniel's coaching ability. He's been here for three years and had huge success here. Even though he hasn't picked up anything at home [in Australia] as yet, I'm sure an opportunity will come up for him somewhere and he'll grab it with both hands.

SH: You've played under some of game's leading coaches. Where does Anderson rate?

MG: I've found Daniel to be fantastic. One of the reasons for coming over here was for a different challenge and I hadn't played under Daniel in Australia, so I was looking forward to it. I've got nothing but respect for Daniel and what's he's done here at St Helens. I've certainly enjoyed my time under him.

SH: You've agreed to stay with St Helens for another season. Was there any thought of returning to the NRL?

MG: Not really. At the moment, my family are enjoying themselves over here. We'll stay for one more year and then we'll probably look at coming back home after that. My daughter will be ready for school then. I didn't even look at coming back to Australia at the moment. While I'm playing in a quality team here, I get to play in the big matches like the one we're talking about. It wasn't a hard decision to stick around for another 12 months.

SH: When that contract expires, will you consider coming back to the NRL or will you call it a day?

MG: Obviously, I've had a wonderful time in the NRL. I'll see how I feel midway through next year. You never say never but my focus now is well and truly on St Helens.

SH: Your little brother is going gangbusters in the NRL. Do you keep tabs on how Kurt is doing?

MG: Yeah, I follow Newcastle very closely. I watch all the games televised over here and follow them on the internet. I understand Kurt is having a good year and I'm really proud of how he's going. He's got a wonderful attitude and it's nice to see he's being rewarded for that.

SH: Kurt was somewhat overshadowed by you when you were in the NRL but he's now grown into one of the elite players in the competition.

MG: He's always been a wonderful competitor. His attitude and competitiveness always meant he was going to play well and he's fulfilling his potential at the moment. He won't rest on his laurels and will keep working hard to get Newcastle back into the semi-finals and be a force in the years to come.

SH: What's the standard of the Super League compared to the NRL?

MG: The top teams like St Helens and Leeds would be extremely competitive in the NRL. They would be maybe top-five or top-six teams. It does drop away [after that].

SH: Who do you rate the best player in the Super League?

MG: For me, Keiron Cunningham is the best player, without a doubt. He's been phenomenal for us this year. If you'd wind the clock back, I would have loved to see how he would have gone in the NRL because he is absolutely world-class. He's our best player.

SH: Are there other Super League players you'd like to see test themselves in the NRL?

MG: Definitely, especially from Leeds and St Helens. I'm looking forward to seeing Gareth Ellis at Wests Tigers next year. He'll be a good measuring stick, he's a wonderful player. I think everyone will be surprised by the quality he produces next year for the Tigers. There are also young guys like James Graham and James Robey, who you will see in the World Cup. They are fantastic players and I'd have no hesitation recommending them to any club.

SH: How will [England] go in the World Cup?

MG: I'm looking forward to seeing how they go. They've got a strong squad of players. In talking to the boys, they reckon it's one of the strongest squads they've had in a while. If they produce some of the form I've seen over the past two years, they will be extremely competitive.