Hull KR 44 Wakefield Trinity 6: Wildcats crushed by Robins’ eight-try romp

“For us it is about making small steps,” Sandercock said of his team’s second successive win.

“We believe we have been making those and today was another small step in the right direction. To win so convincingly, the boys deserve credit.”

An emphatic victory was just what Hull KR needed ahead of next Sunday’s Challenge Cup visit of Warrington Wolves, though Wakefield will need a huge improvement to compete with Leeds Rhinos in the same competition.

The Robins led 22-0 at the interval and doubled their tally in the second half, only Pita Godinet’s late interception try – converted by Jarrod Sammut – spoiling a near-perfect afternoon.

“It is pleasing on a couple of fronts,” Sandercock conceded. “Missing so many players and being hammered 8-3 in the penalty count, the way we did it was pleasing.

“If you had told me it was going to be 44-6 at the start of the game I would have taken that, so I can’t be too critical, but conceding that late try was very disappointing.”

After a difficult start to the season Rovers may be beginning to find their feet, though it was difficult to judge the quality of their performance against such inept opposition.

Wakefield went into the game following two 50-point wins and a narrow loss to league leaders St Helens, but were fortunate to both get on the scoreboard themselves and keep the home team below a half-century.

Both sides made a succession of errors, but – on the back of a strong pack effort – the home team played at a faster pace and were more clinical when they got close to the opposition’s line.

Neville Costigan, the Papua New Guinea international, began the rout with his first try for the club, after just two minutes.

Rovers were fortunate with a couple of rebounds which handed them repeat sets, but Adam Walker’s offload – from which Costigan stretched over – was top-class.

It was 10-0 after 13 minutes, Travis Burns, Kris Keating and Kris Welham linking across the line to put Omari Caro in at the corner.

On 29 Burns was grounded close to the line, but Josh Hodgson’s quick-thinking caught the defence dozing from acting-half and then, on the stroke of half-time, Paul Sykes fumbled Keating’s kick behind his own line and Welham was presented with the simplest of tries.

Rovers continued to dominate in the second period, the most spectacular of their tries being a long-range effort by Caro, who dummied past Sykes from inside his own half.

That took the London-born winger’s tally for the season to six and Sandercock said: “He has got what money can’t buy, which is pure speed. If he keeps working hard on all parts of his game I am sure he’ll turn into a real quality player.”

There was not much Wakefield’s defence could do about that, though they made little effort to keep Keating out on 58 minutes or to prevent Hodgson’s second – following some basketball-style passing in front of the posts a few minutes later.

Wakefield’s defence was even worse when Welham ghosted through unopposed for his second try with 11 minutes left, Burns landing his sixth goal to complete the home team’s scoring.

Rovers chairman Neil Hudgell made his thoughts on the RFL’s disciplinary process clear during the week. He will no doubt be awaiting the result of the match review panel’s deliberations with keen interest after Burns was placed on report in the first half for an alleged foul on Sykes.

Hull KR’s former Wakefield winger Ben Cockayne did not manage to score against his previous club, but did make two superb try-saving tackles on his opposite number, Peter Fox.

Wakefield coach Richard Agar was mystified by his team’s capitulation, which came at the end of a month when they recorded two 50-point wins and ran table-toppers St Helens close.

He said: “It is fair to say we absolutely did not see that coming.

“We thought we prepared really well for the game and we don’t feel we were beaten by outstanding football – it was more a question of what we were lacking.

“That’s taking nothing away from the opposition. They carried the ball really hard and beat us to the punch in every facet of the game.

“They ran harder and tackled harder and undoubtedly wanted it more. It has thrown up a lot of question marks as to why we would get a performance so lacking in skill, in smartness and at times effort and desire.

“Some of the defence in the second half looked as if they had given up and we had stuck up the white flag.”

Hull KR: Cockayne, Gardner, Salter, Welham, Caro, Burns, Keating, A Walker, J Hodgson, Weyman, Larroyer, Cox, Costigan. Substitutes: Green, Carlile, Netherton, Lovegrove.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats: Sammut, Fox, Collis, Lyne, Riley, Sykes, Godinet, Anderson, McShane, Scruton, Ryan, Kirmond, Washbrook. Substitutes: Raleigh, Lauitiiti, Tautai, Siejka.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).