Hull KR coach Willie Peters points to Reece Walsh as model for Mikey Lewis in Grand Final redemption bid

The Wigan Warriors playmaker became a fitting first recipient of the Rob Burrow Award after scoring a stunning solo try to light up an otherwise attritional Grand Final.

That moment of magic proved decisive as Wigan denied Hull KR a maiden Super League title.

For Rovers half-back Mikey Lewis, seeing French burst past him and race away for the only try of the game was a bitter pill to swallow.

But French's brilliance offers a blueprint for Lewis to follow as he prepares to return to the grandest stage in Saturday's Old Trafford rematch.

To truly seize the moment, Willie Peters has called on his star man to pair that example with the mindset of last weekend's NRL Grand Final hero Reece Walsh.

"I do feel he's ready," said the KR head coach when asked about Lewis' ability to own the big stage.

"That's obviously going to be up to Mikey. You look at what Reece Walsh did last weekend. There would have been a stage when he said in his mind that he wanted to go out and own that Grand Final. It doesn't just happen.

"Reece Walsh has built his game to be able to do that but at some stage, I'm pretty confident he would have mentally thought, 'I'm going to be a beast and own this Grand Final'.

"That's where Mikey needs to be. He needs to mentally tap into that.

"This isn't to put pressure on him but we know he's one of our X factors."

Like Lewis, Walsh is always in the spotlight and will never please everybody – but what cannot be disputed are his achievements.

Peters sees the same potential in Lewis: to rise above the noise and quieten those doubters.

"I've heard Reece say that nobody can take that Grand Final from him, regardless of what happens from here," added Peters, who will work with the full-back this autumn as Australia’s assistant coach.

"Mikey has won the Challenge Cup and nobody can take that away from him. Now he wants to win a Super League title.

"People are always going to have things to say but if that happens, nobody can take that away from him.

"Nobody can take Reece Walsh's performance in last week's Grand Final away from him."

Lewis carved out a place in club folklore when he kicked the winning conversion at Wembley to end KR's 40-year trophy drought.

With more try involvements than any other player in Super League for the second year running, Lewis provides the Robins with their cutting edge.

But alongside the 2024 Man of Steel, Tyrone May has become increasingly influential and is ready to share the responsibility of driving KR's attack.

"His game has been building," said Peters.

"He probably doesn't get the credit he deserves. Everyone goes to Mikey because he's scoring the tries but Tyrone adds a lot to our attack and overall structures.

"He's a different player but I want him to tap into that (bullish mentality) as well."

Since the semi-final victory over St Helens, Peters has been hammering home the importance of seizing key moments – a lesson KR learned the hard way last year.

But that defeat, he insists, was not just about one defensive lapse; it was also about a lack of attacking ambition.

"There are a couple of little things that we'll tweak," said Peters.

"They're a hard team to break down and score against so it comes down to moments. Within that, there are some subtle changes we believe will work from a tactical perspective.

"There was a set last year when we went into our shell. We found a way to get in the game and played so conservatively. Bevan didn't make one tackle in that set and we didn't ask any questions whatsoever. Off the back of that, he goes and scores at the other end.

"That said enough for me about where we were at. We were conservative and didn't want to go after it when it was there.

"This year, when we get the opportunity, I'm not saying we go out and look for a big play as soon as we get down there – but at least ask some questions and express yourselves."

KR's journey to the Grand Final has been defined by a methodical, relentless approach, grinding out wins and rarely being outworked.

Before they can conjure the star dust required to burst through the Wigan wall, they must nail plan A.

"Overall, you need to be in the fight and have the right mindset," added Peters.

"The tough stuff – the aggression and intent side – needs to come first and the other stuff will come off the back of that once there's a bit of fatigue in the game.

"We've shown we've learned a lot from last year over the course of the season. What we did well we held onto and we've improved the areas we needed to improve.

"You don't get here if you're not consistent or work hard."