Video: Hull KR 22 Wigan 20: Campese in at the double

At half-time yesterday, with Hull KR 14-6 down and getting drenched in freezing rain while being interviewed on the pitch, the Wallaby legend will surely have wondered if it really was worth the hassle.

Indeed, when Wigan extended their lead through George Williams’s try just 27 seconds after the restart, Campese must have been wishing the game would end there and then.

However, fittingly it was his nephew, Hull KR captain Terry Campese, who inspired a remarkable fightback to help deliver the club’s first Super League win of the season, the elegant Australian stand-off guiding his side brilliantly to stun their revered opponents.

The crucial blow came via 
Kieran Dixon, the full-back signed from London Broncos but dropped to the bench yesterday, who scored his first try for the East Yorkshire side in the 72nd minute with only his third touch after coming on.

Josh Mantellato, another new recruit this term like Campese and two-try winger Ken Sio, held his nerve to slot the kick to leave head coach Chris Chester, the former Wigan loose forward, delighted.

It was the least they deserved given the command and authority with which they played, especially in a second half they utterly dominated.

Campese, a 30-year-old from Canberra Raiders, looked to probe and create throughout and his kicking game was excellent, while robust prop Adam Walker was a real presence up front and Graeme Horne, the back-row, came off the bench to deliver a surprise stint at hooker where he truly flourished.

In fairness, given their competitive nature, Hull KR were unlucky even to be down at the interval.

They had plenty of possession and in decent areas, too, but unfortunately their execution too often let them down.

Wigan, however, were fairly clinical with their limited opportunities as they secured three tries in five minutes either side of the break.

Rovers had taken the lead in the 23rd minute when Darrell Goulding slid a grubber kick in behind their goalline.

Joe Burgess tried letting the ball roll dead only to be caught out as Sio snuck in to dive on it for his second try in as many games. Mantellato converted from wide out but Burgess quickly atoned for his error.

Rovers prop James Green coughed up the ball in Wigan’s 20 and, when John Bateman raced away to ease the pressure, he was held down too long to give the visitors easy extra yards.

From there, a slick passing movement to the left saw England winger Burgess score his 11th try in 12 games.

Soon after, he moved in off his flank to force a handling error from Goulding, thwarting another promising position, before Wigan added their second.

It was Lee Mossop who hit a short ball from Michael McIllorum when everyone expected the visitors to go wide.

Matty Smith could not improve but his side were over again with just 10 seconds remaining of the half, Rovers penalised when Albert Kelly shoulder-charged Joel Tomkins, a loose ball then bobbling out wide to Josh Charnley who beat Mantellato too easily.

Supporters were still regaining their seats when Williams eased in for that fourth try, Smith converting, but frustrated Wigan would not get another chance thereafter as resurgent Rovers took firm control.

Kelly almost struck back as he hit Campese’s switch pass at pace but the scrum-half fumbled stretching for the line.

However, it was his fine floated pass that enabled Goulding to arc into half a gap soon after for Sio to squeeze over for his second, Mantellato missing his first kick since moving to Super League.

Sio, the former Parramatta winger, then looked set for a hat-trick when a high Smith kick was allowed to bounce on the Hull KR 20 and he picked up and raced away.

Williams finally hunted him down but it mattered little as Mitch Allgood barged over a couple of plays later for Mantellato to bring it back to 20-16.

Wigan tried raising the ante by flying off their line, led by the always combustible McIllorum, and it worked as Greg Burke, the loose forward on loan from the Warriors, spilled.

However, Campese, typically, popped up to intercept Taulima Tautai’s offload and, instead, the hosts gained that vital breakthrough.

Two successive drop-outs seem to have been wasted when Ben Cockayne – denied moments earlier by a fine Liam Farrell tackle – spilt and let Wigan off the hook.

However, Campese got another opportunity himself and sidestepped his way close to the line.

Dixon came in to benefit from a sharp play-the-ball and then, for someone so sleight, showed real strength to twist over and ground the ball, Italian international Mantellato kicking the all-important two points.

Hull KR: Cockayne; Sio, Goulding, Salter, Mantellato; Campese, Kelly; Walker, Boudebza, Allgood, Blair, McCarthy, Burke. Substitutes: Larroyer, Green, Horne, Dixon.

Wigan Warriors: Hampshire; Charnley, Gelling, J Tomkins, Burgess; Williams, Smith; Sutton, McIllorum, Tautai, C Farrell, L Farrell, Bateman. Substitutes: Clubb, Patrick, Mossop, Powell.

Referee: R Hicks (Oldham).

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HULL KR head coach Chris Chester hailed his side’s team spirit after they fought back to defeat Wigan Warriors for the first time since 2009.

They trailed 14-6 early in the second half yesterday and looked set for a third successive defeat that would have left them pointless at the bottom of Super League.

However, Ken Sio’s second try, Mitch Allgood’s second for the club and a first for Kieran Dixon saw them recover to post a stunning 22-20 victory.

After losses versus Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity, Chester admitted: “There’s a lot of relief there and we’re all delighted.

“We’ve been questioned after the last couple of games, and the one thing you can’t question about this group of players is their team spirit.

“That got us through in the end; we were dominant in that second half and got our rewards.”

Full-back Dixon, 22, had been dropped to the bench and Chester admitted: “He’s disappointed he didn’t get more than 20 minutes of action, but he’s thrilled to get that try, and so was I.

“I’m pleased for Kieran. That win is for team spirit, let me tell you.”

Captain Terry Campese was inspirational in front of his watching uncle, the Wallabies legend David Campese.

Chester said: “He led the team really, really well.

“I spoke to him after the Wakefield game and said he had to be more of a threat with the ball, take the line on more, and he did that and kicked well too.”

Hull KR matched Wigan’s famed physicality throughout and Chester stressed: “You’ve got to try and put them off their game.”