Hull KR players earn timely rest after returning to winning ways at Catalans Dragons
HULL KINGSTON ROVERS head coach Willie Peters says his players have earned the right to have a few days off after an exhausting run since winning the Challenge Cup.
Peters’ Super League leaders ended a run of two defeats with a 34-6 win at Catalans Dragons. Coupled with a shock 32-12 win for fierce rivals Hull FC at second-placed Wigan Warriors, it made for a profitable afternoon for the Robins.
“We came here to get two points and it’s the first time we have done that for a while,” said Peters.
“The monkey’s off our back now and the players get a few well-earned days off this week and then we come back and focus on the next challenge. We did what we needed to do but we bombed a few chances in that first half.
“It was pretty similar to the game against Leeds a couple of weeks back but what I was happy about is that we didn’t let it affect us. Catalans scored that try but I thought our defence was quite solid tonight.
“The competition is tight which is what makes Super League special. Any team can beat anyone on their day, we’ve got Salford in a couple of weeks and they can trouble you for long periods in games.
“They did that against Castleford recently so there are no gimmes in the Super League which is what we want, it’s what the competition should be like.
“We’ve got a challenging run, Salford first then we’ve got Castleford but the biggest thing for us is giving the players a bit of time off.
“They’ve had a big campaign, winning the Challenge Cup and the six games after was a solid 18-20 weeks of hard work, they need a break.”
Rovers were without captain Elliot Minchella but boosted by the return of talismanic leader Mikey Lewis. The visitors’ starting 13 contained four former Dragons in Tyrone May, Michael McIlorum, Tom Davies and Arthur Mourgue who drew polite applause from French fans. Tommy Makinson put a goal-line drop-out straight into touch and from the restart May jinked his way through the line and passed to Jack Broadbent for a five-metre score between the posts, converted by Lewis for a 6-0 lead.
Peta Hiku could not collect a Lewis high-ball in goal for what would have been a simple try as the visitors turned up the heat.
The hosts’ Clement Martin then dropped the ball on a 20-metre restart and that man Lewis pounced after a strong drive from Sam Luckley. Morgue added the conversion to double the lead.
Lewis thought he had trebled the try tally when he pounced after Broadbent collected the ball after a strong tackle on Cesar Rouge and fed his stand-off but the video referee saw a knock-on by Broadbent.
The score remained 12-0 at the interval before Dragons’ centre Romano limped off with a hamstring strain. The pain continued in the second half for Catalans when Hiku broke through on a 30-metre romp and Broadbent found Joe Burgess to score in the left corner in the 45th minute, Mourgue converting from the touchline.
Broadbent scored his second 10 minutes later after Catalans coughed up the ball 10 metres from their own line and the favour was returned at the other end when Rovers fumbled over their own line and prop Romain Navarrete pounced for his side’s first points.
Lewis was always going to have the last laugh when he kick-chased to score in the 72nd minute in front of the jubilant Robins fans.
Burgess then upstaged him with a 70-metre dash for his second try as the Robins finished with a flourish.