Hull KR boss Willie Peters wary of former Robins in 'really important' game at Castleford Tigers

The Castleford squad named for tonight’s clash at Wheldon Road features six former Robins, including Sam Wood and Rowan Milnes.

Ex-assistant Danny McGuire, meanwhile, became Craig Lingard's right-hand man at the end of last year following his shock exit from Craven Park, joining another former KR player Scott Murrell on the coaching staff.

A win at Castleford would take Rovers joint top of Super League – for 24 hours at least – heading into the final break of the season.

Peters, however, is not looking at the bigger picture ahead of a reunion with some familiar faces.

"I'll have a better indication after this week," he said when asked to assess KR’s campaign so far.

"We want a narrow focus on Thursday's game. It's really important for us.

"The players will have some time off and then we'll reset, look at where we're at and what we want to do going forward.

"We're playing a team that will be up for it. There are some guys that were here before who we really liked.

"They're good men but they've got a point to prove. Everyone likes playing against their past team and wants to do well.

"We know it's going to be a tough game but we're certainly looking forward to it."

The Tigers have faced Wigan Warriors four times but take on Hull KR for the first time in 2024 this week.

Peters has been impressed with Castleford's growth from afar.

"They've certainly improved," said the Australian, who steered Rovers to a 12-7 win on his only previous visit to Wheldon Road.

"There's no doubt they've recruited well over the past five or six weeks and that's reflected in their performances and results.

"You can only judge a club on their improvement throughout the year – and Castleford certainly are improving.

"We know the challenge ahead and what to expect. It's always a difficult place to play but we'll focus on what we can control and make sure our performance is consistent."

Peters will be forced into at least two changes with back-rower James Batchelor and hooker Matt Parcell both unavailable.

Batchelor sustained ankle ligament damage in last week's win over Huddersfield Giants and will be sidelined for five weeks, ruling him out of contention for England's Test against France on June 29.