Hull KR half-back Mikey Lewis dissects game after missing out on England debut

Shaun Wane opted to go with George Williams and Harry Smith in Warrington, meaning Lewis must wait a little longer for his England debut.

With the French all at sea defensively in the 64-0 rout, it was a match made for the effervescent Hull KR half-back.

But instead of being despondent, Lewis – who has had a taste of international rugby league with England Knights – took the setback on the chin and is ready to take his game to the next level with the Robins.

"It's been an unreal experience," he told The Yorkshire Post after the match at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. "I don't think I could have asked for a better group of lads to be in camp with.

"I was a little bit disappointed to not get picked but I'm still young and George and Harry are fantastic players. That's what you've got to compete with when you get to international level.

"I respect Waney a lot. There are two ways you can take it: I could have sulked for the rest of the week or got on with it and enjoyed every moment.

"You don't know if you're ever going to get the chance to come into camp again. Hopefully I do at the back end of the year and get my chance.

"For now, I've got to go back to Hull KR, carry on my form and work on the little things I need to work on to hopefully step out in that first game against Tonga."

Wane is known as a hard taskmaster who will never be completely satisfied.

Lewis, who by his own admission had a slow start to the season, will enlist the help of Rovers half-back partner Jordan Abdull as he sets about improving the areas of his game identified by Wane.

"I think everyone knows at the beginning that I was missing a few tackles," said the 21-year-old, who missed 30 in the first set of five Super League games and only seven in the second.

"The last five weeks I feel like I've done exceptionally well on the defensive side. I know if that's on, my attack will come.

"There's a little bit of game management stuff as well and my kicking game. What we have at Hull KR is a system and I can't go out of that system because then I lose my spot in the team.

"I can pick Jordan's brain a bit because he's one of the best around at the moment in terms of kicking game and game management."

A fiery half-back, Lewis plays on the edge and frequently engages in running battles with his opposite number, which often brings out the best in the youngster.

He admits he is still trying to find the right balance.

"I needed to tone it down a little bit at the beginning of the year," said Lewis.

"Things off the field weren't going as planned but I've done something about that now. That's just on a personal level.

"When things don't go my way, I can't keep biting. I've got to get on with the next job and keep calm because the team relies on me and Jordan.

"If I lose my head, it affects everybody else and not just myself. That's been a massive eye-opener, especially the first five games when I wasn't at the races.

"Willie (Peters) stuck by me and I feel like I'm getting into the rhythm now. It was difficult to get the hang of the new system at first but now I know my role in the team."

Although Rovers are more structured under Peters, Lewis has not been given instructions to rein in his fearless attacking instincts.

"As a young player, fans and coaches want to see you playing with your eyes up," added Lewis, who has scored memorable tries from chip and chase plays early in sets.

"You're backing your ability. Nobody can take that away from you. If it doesn't work, you've got to put your hands up.

"The coach isn't going to tell you not to do it. It's about doing it at the right time."

Lewis' return to form has coincided with KR's five-match winning run, which will be on the line this Friday night when Huddersfield Giants visit Craven Park.

After getting a taste of the play-offs in 2021, Lewis is eyeing another Old Trafford push to help ensure he goes one better when England face Tonga in a three-Test series this autumn.

"It's really exciting times at the club, on and off the field," he said.

"As a team, we're playing really well. We've proved that we can perform against the big teams but we're not getting too far ahead of ourselves.

"At the same time, I want to play in those big games at the end of the year and hopefully get the chance to represent my country."