Hull KR 36 Catalans Dragons 12: Rovers on cusp of ending 40 years of hurt after booking Wembley return

The Robins fans took over the LNER Community Stadium and Willie Peters' side responded by booking their Challenge Cup final place with a swagger.

Rovers dealt out the kind of punishment they were on the receiving end of themselves this time last year when Wigan Warriors denied them a Wembley spot.

Catalans Dragons were powerless to prevent KR from securing a return to the national stadium, the scene of their heartbreaking defeat to Leigh Leopards in 2023.

Rovers enjoyed themselves in the North Yorkshire sunshine, running in six tries to set up a shot at Wembley redemption.

KR did not have everything their own way, suffering a first-half wobble that may have derailed them in the past.

But the steely Robins are a different beast under Peters, even if they have yet to take the final step.

The biggest hurdle Rovers must overcome when it truly matters is a mental one – four decades of pain and suffering.

The good news for the Robins is that Wigan are not around to stop them on this occasion having been knocked out by their fierce rivals Hull FC.

Should they get the job done next month and end their long wait for a major trophy, that subplot may make the success all the sweeter.

Rovers have been burnt enough in the recent past to avoid any premature thoughts about lifting the trophy at Wembley.

But after booking their place in a third final in their last five attempts, they appear primed to upset the established order in Super League – providing they can bury 40 years of hurt.

The Challenge Cup is undoubtedly KR's best chance to end their drought, even if they have been the standout team in the league in the early months of the season.

Catalans would have prepared for KR's trademark fast start but expecting something and combating it are two different matters.

The Dragons were not helped by a loose kick from Australian half-back Luke Keary, the villain of the piece following his recent comments about the state of Super League.

The KR fans took great pleasure from seeing the ball float into touch on the full and were on their feet in the next set when James Batchelor opened the scoring.

Mikey Lewis put a kick in behind early in the tackle count that wrongfooted Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet – standing in for the injured Sam Tomkins – and Batchelor was in the right place to take advantage.

Batchelor is not a natural centre by any stretch but there are few who work harder than the specialist back-rower, which means he is usually in the frame when Rovers threaten on the left edge.

His diligence was rewarded again in the 13th minute when Lewis had the ball knocked from his grasp by Oliver Partington close to the tryline and he was on the spot to finish.

Lewis added his first conversion to put KR in control but they began to lose their grip in a surprising twist.

Having failed to issue anything in the way of a response, Catalans scored out of nowhere to put some doubt into the minds of the Robins.

Jai Whitbread knocked on at one end and in the next set Reimis Smith coasted through KR's right edge to score next to the posts.

All four sides of the LNER Community Stadium tried to lift Rovers but the momentum was with the Dragons and they struck again to silence the parochial crowd.

The ball came free from Tommy Makinson's improvised kick and Keary picked up the pieces to touch down.

After Aispuro-Bichet knocked over his second conversion to nudge Catalans ahead for the first time, the Robins were rocking.

It took an altercation between Lewis and Catalans captain Elliott Whitehead to spark KR back into life.

Lewis responded in typical fashion with the try that calmed his side's nerves.

Whitbread punched a hole in the Dragons' defence and smuggled away an offload to his supporting half-back.

Although Rovers were only six points ahead after Lewis added to his latest conversion with a penalty, there was a sense that a big Catalans pack would run out of steam in unseasonably warm conditions – whether they were used to them or not.

The Robins smothered the Dragons with their unrelenting defence in the early stages of the second half and got their reward when the outstanding Jack Broadbent sliced straight through on the back of a quick play-the-ball by Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

KR's 12-point lead was never threatened and they could start planning for Wembley after Broadbent backed up a break by Joe Burgess to make it a double.

When Burgess got in on the act by finishing Tyrone May's sublime pass, the party could well and truly begin.

Hull KR: Broadbent, Davies, Hiku, Batchelor, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Waerea-Hargreaves, Hadley, Whitbread, Minchella. Substitutes: Luckley, Tanginoa, Brown, Leyland.

Tries: Batchelor (4, 13), Lewis (30), Broadbent (54, 69), Burgess (73)

Goals: Lewis 6/7

Catalans Dragons: Aispuro-Bichet, Makinson, Laguerre, Smith, Cotric, Keary, Fages, Pangai Jr, Da Costa, Bousquet, Sims, Whitehead, Partington. Substitutes: Seguier, Satae, Naverette, Sironen.

Tries: Smith (19), Keary (24)

Goals: Aispuro-Bichet 2/2

Referee: Chris Kendall.