Hull KR new boy Lee Kershaw ready to show he belongs at top of Super League after earning big chance

The former Wakefield Trinity winger signed a two-year deal with the Robins after suffering the pain of relegation for the second straight season, albeit without the on-field agony experienced in 2023.

It has been a rocky road for Kershaw since his release by Wakefield but he has been rewarded for his persistence with the kind of opportunity he could have only dreamt of 12 months ago.

"A lot of players have been through what I've been through," said Kershaw, who eventually earned a deal with London Broncos for 2024.

"As a player and a person, you end up where you deserve to be. Now I'm here, I want to show I can be a top-end Super League player rather than a bottom-end Super League player.

"They obviously saw something they liked and I've seen an opportunity to go to a club on the up. Hopefully it's a win for them and a win for me."

The Bradford native was on the verge of returning to the amateur game with local club Baildon when Leeds offered him the chance to keep his hand in at Super League level this time last year.

Even when London came calling in January, Kershaw had to prove himself during a month-long trial period.

The contract at the end of it made all the sacrifices worthwhile.

"I wouldn't say I wasn't bothered but it didn't rattle me or get to me as much as it might have done when it was just pre-season training with nothing at the end of it," said Kershaw.

"It was obviously nowhere the same. You can't imitate a game, especially when you're by yourself sometimes.

"When the friendlies started to come, I was a bit like, 'I want a club now' and there was a bit of panic. Luckily I got in at London when I did."

Kershaw faced a unique scenario at the Broncos after the new grading system consigned the capital club to relegation before a ball had been kicked.

"As a player, you don't want to go out there wondering what the point is," said Kershaw, whose seven tries in 26 games helped London make life uncomfortable for Hull FC in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon.

"You want to win the game. We came close to winning a few more games than we did – we were within one point of Leeds twice.

"We did put up a fight from the middle of the season onwards. We had to play well for the club and for ourselves to get a contract for this season."

It was familiar territory for Kershaw after struggling at the wrong end of Super League with Wakefield last year.

Trinity were the last club to drop out of the top flight before the switch to the grading system, their fate confirmed in agonising fashion with a golden-point loss to Leigh Leopards in the penultimate round.

The memory of missing an opportunity to complete his hat-trick and win the game for Wakefield in extra time still haunts Kershaw, who took pleasure in watching Trinity’s return journey from afar.

"It hit me hard," he said.

"I felt like I'd let the fans down. I've known Mash (Mark Applegarth) for years and felt like I'd let him down.

"I got a hand to Gareth O'Brien's pass but I went for the tackle on (Ricky) Leutele rather than an intercept; if I'd gone for the intercept, I know I would have got it.

"It left a bad taste in my mouth and is an experience I wouldn't want to relive.

"I followed all the results last year and it's really good to see them back. When we were relegated, the lads who were staying were saying they'd get back up this year and they got it done."

Kershaw could face Trinity for the first time since his departure when Hull KR visit Belle Vue in round two.

The 25-year-old is likely to start the year behind Tom Davies and Joe Burgess in the pecking order but if he has shown anything during his career it is that he is nothing if not a fighter.

"It's a bit like when I was at Wakey as a young kid," said Kershaw, who began pre-season with Rovers last week. "I need to be ready and push in training as much as I can.

"There are only two wing spots. Joe Burgess was class for them last year and Tom Davies is another top winger. He’s as mad as a box of frogs but is absolutely class and good to be around.

"All around the club, there are keywords about winning, not just games but the ruck and battling for everything. I've never experienced a club like it. It really is a professional organisation, really organised. They're getting a lot of things right.

"We've set targets to beat what we did last season and the level we need to be at to do it. Every individual has to be on point every session and every game. I'll play my part in training and hopefully good things come off the back of it."