Challenge Cup: Chisholm is flying for Hull KR as Wembley appears on horizon

NEW Australian recruit Dane Chisholm hopes to guide Hull KR to an historic Wembley appearance – in only his second game in the United Kingdom.
Dane Chisholm of Hull KRDane Chisholm of Hull KR
Dane Chisholm of Hull KR

The stand-off flew into the country just 11 days ago, having joined on loan until the end of the season from National Rugby League side Canterbury Bulldogs.

However, in remarkable circumstances, the little-known playmaker is now preparing to direct the East Yorkshire club in their Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington Wolves at Headingley on Saturday.

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Chisholm got his first taste of action when debuting in Friday’s heavy 52-12 defeat at St Helens but this weekend is clearly the biggest date in Rovers’ calendar.

They have not reached a Wembley cup final since losing to Castleford in 1986 – their only win was famously against Hull six years before that – and Chisholm told The Yorkshire Post: “It would be huge to get there.

“We had a couple of players out (at St Helens), some key players for our team, so we’ll get them back in and anything can happen.

“I’ve just heard it (Wembley) is massive and I can’t wait.

“If we get there, it will be one of the biggest games I’ve ever played so I’m really keen to do well on Saturday.

“This has all happened so quick for me but I’m loving it.”

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Rovers head coach Chris Chester signed the 25-year-old due to a season-ending injury for fellow Australian and captain Terry Campese plus concerns about Albert Kelly’s knee injury.

Chisholm has been on the books of four clubs Down Under – Melbourne Storm, Wests Tigers, Manly and Canterbury – but has so far only played one NRL game with Storm in 2011.

He is contracted with the Bulldogs for 2016, though, and hopes impressing here will help him push into first-grade, having already featured heavily in their New South Wales Cup reserve side.

“I was stuck behind three really in-form halves over there so it was either finish the year in the state Cup or come over here to get some good experience in Super League and that’s what I chose,” he explained.

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“I just had a day to pack my bags and get straight on a plane.

“I was even waiting at the airport at 6pm for a 9pm flight and waiting for a flight centre over in England to open so they could send me over my itinerary!

“I had to wait 45 minutes in the airport but then got my itinerary and literally got straight over here.”

Chisholm, who won four caps with France in 2011, having qualified via his French mother, showed some signs of quality at St Helens last week.

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His vision created a lovely try for John Boudebza as Rovers trailed just 24-12 at the break and then showed more guile to break and chip ahead early in the second half – only for Saints full-back Adam Quinlan to scoop up and race 80m for a crucial score.

“That’s just a decision-making thing,” admitted Chisholm. “Sometimes you just hold onto them...

“Things like that try in the first half came off the back of what the forwards were doing.

“There was times there when they were working really well going forward but there were just a few things that didn’t come off in the backs. We were pretty poor in the backline and there’s a lot we have to fix up.

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“The game was definitely a lot quicker than I expected. It was very fast.

“We had a pretty simple game structure to stick to and we tried to do that but I think St Helens were just more physical.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board as we’ve this big game coming up now so we can’t hang our heads down too low.”

Chester rested influential scrum-half Kelly in what was a fourth successive defeat, one which consigned them to a disappointing 10th place finish and the uncertainty of the qualifiers.

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Chisholm will certainly have to produce in those games to help maintain Rovers’ top-flight status but he is settling in well. “I’m staying with Dane Tilse,” he said, referring to the rangy former Canberra Raiders prop and fellow countryman.

“We’re getting on pretty well –big Dane and little Dane!

“I knew some of the Aussie boys already – I played against Alby (Kelly) and Joshy (Mantellato) was at the Storm with Maurice Blair and all the rest of the boys are great.

“It’s been an awesome welcome.”