Hull KR 28 Huddersfield Giants 0: Rovers shrug off adversity as Ian Watson's side suffer painful flashback

Hull KR had plenty of challenges thrown their way before and during the clash with Huddersfield Giants but they are a well-oiled machine at the start of the Willie Peters era.

The Robins were without chief playmaker Jordan Abdull and lost influential full-back Lachlan Coote early on, two sizeable blows on their return from an enforced break.

But Peters' men overcame the setbacks with nonchalant ease to pick up where they left off before the international weekend.

A sixth straight win leaves Rovers joint second after 11 rounds, dizzy heights for a club starved of success.

The evergreen Ryan Hall scored a double to knock the stuffing out of the off-colour Giants – rolling back the years with a 90-metre interception – and James Batchelor celebrated his 100th Super League appearance with a brace.

Rowan Milnes took his chance with an assured performance, while Jez Litten's kicking game was faultless.

For Huddersfield, it was a painful flashback to last year's 28-0 play-off defeat to Salford Red Devils.

The Giants have yet to recover from that chastening result and are struggling in the absence of a controlling half-back with Theo Fages and Oliver Russell both sidelined.

After a shaky start to the year, Huddersfield produced their worst performance yet to leave them off the pace in the race for the top six.

In keeping with a competition-wide theme in the early months of the campaign, the players had to contend with torrential rain and greasy conditions.

The Huddersfield of 2022 relished an arm wrestle but Ian Watson's men have spent the early part of this season trying to rediscover their identity.

By contrast, the Robins have adapted quickly to Peters' style: tough and methodical with a licence to play the situation.

That is exactly what Litten did in the 13th minute, the England new boy sensing an opportunity on the back of a rampaging run by Elliot Minchella and sending through a perfectly weighted kick that was touched down by Hall.

Litten started the game on the bench but was quickly summoned after Coote picked up a hamstring problem.

Such upheaval may have derailed Rovers in previous years but they have developed a steely edge under Peters and did not flinch after introducing Litten in the halves and moving Mikey Lewis to full-back.

Huddersfield can boast Jake Connor, Will Pryce and Tui Lolohea, yet lack the cohesion that every spine needs; they almost need one ball each.

Connor was quickly serenaded with anti-Hull FC songs on his latest return to the city and had a night to forget.

Minchella laid down an early marker with a forceful late hit on the former Hull playmaker to give the Giants a penalty on the home side's line.

With the game still scoreless, Esan Marsters appeared destined to touch down Connor's grubber kick but Tom Opacic did enough to force a fumble over the line.

That was as close as Huddersfield came to troubling Rovers as Peters' team took a stranglehold on the contest.

As good as Hull KR were, the Giants were masters of their own downfall, Connor presenting Hall with a gift deep in home territory with a telegraphed looping pass.

The veteran winger had plenty to do but proved that he still has enough juice in the legs to go the distance.

Milnes nailed the touchline conversion to add to an earlier penalty and was on target again from another Huddersfield infringement to leave Rovers in full control at 14-0.

The Giants failed to fire any telling blows back in response, Connor going close to a 40/20 only to be denied by Lewis before throwing a pass into touch to the delight of the home crowd.

Huddersfield's cause was not helped by the loss of front-row duo Owen Trout and Jack Ashworth to head injuries but it mattered little the mood Hull KR were in.

Batchelor ended the game as a contest by touching down Milnes' superb deft kick and the pair repeated the trick in the closing stages to make it a brace.

In between, Opacic showed good football skills to hack Batchelor's kick ahead before picking Connor's pocket to score.

Huddersfield failed to lay a glove on Rovers as the game slipped away, coming closest to finding a way through when Chris McQueen was pulled back for a forward pass by Leroy Cudjoe near the line.

Lolohea summed up their struggles with an aimless pass into touch in the closing stages – but it was a night that belonged to the Robins as they go marching on.

Hull KR: Coote, Kenny-Dowall, Opacic, C Hall, R Hall, Lewis, Milnes, Hadley, Parcell, King, Batchelor, Linnett, Minchella. Substitutes: Sue, Litten, Kennedy, Luckley.

Huddersfield Giants: Pryce, Cudjoe, Naiqama, Marsters, Senior, Connor, Lolohea, Hill, Peats, Wilson, McQueen, Hewitt, Yates. Substitutes: O'Brien, Rushton, Ashworth, Trout.

Referee: Chris Kendall.