Hull KR's Nick Scruton rests easy in knowledge Masoe is finally on his side

The hulking New Zealander came off the bench to make his debut in Sunday’s narrow 26-22 Qualifiers win over Halifax.

Masoe, who won the 2014 Grand Final with St Helens before returning to the NRL, is one of the biggest players in the sport.

Scruton said: “He wasn’t happy with his first stint but his second he was pretty hard to handle.

“I’ve just been saying how we were training in the week, doing some drills and Mase was running at me then.

“But I’d been having nightmares about him before when he played for Saints and absolutely tumble-dried me playing for Wakefield.

“He is 100 per cent a player you want to play with rather than against.

“Hopefully now, if his shoulder’s not too bad, we can get him back on the field and he can just get better and better for us.”

Samoa international Masoe, 28, was injured after a “chicken wing” tackle by Ryan Boyle, the Halifax prop since charged with a Grade B dangerous contact.

Championship side Rovers, desperate to return to the top-flight, looked set for a damaging opening defeat before Scruton charged in for a 72nd-minute try to snatch victory. The 32-year-old, a Super League winner with Leeds Rhinos before switching to Bradford Bulls, said: “That probably ranks as the most important try in my career so far.

“These games are massive for the club so to score the winning try and get us off to a good start…. we just couldn’t afford to lose that game… was special.”

Part-timers Halifax had surprisingly beaten KR in the final regular round of the season, only a third league defeat all year.

They were inspired again on Sunday by Scott Murrell, the ex-Robins stand-off who is a friend of Scruton’s and former Rhinos academy team-mate.

“If we’d have lost it would have been the end of my world 100 per cent as I wouldn’t have heard the end of it from him so I’m glad to get the two points,” he said.

“The last two weeks I’d not heard the end of it especially as my sister goes out with (Halifax player) Ben Kaye as well.”

Scruton, who joined from Wakefield despite KR’s relegation last season, was a driving force for Tim Sheens’ side as they turned things around in the second half.

“Tim said during the week in an interview that it’s time for the more experienced players who have Super League experience to stand up and be counted,” he said.

“That’s something I’ve taken personally; I know I need to be at my best for these seven games.

“When I play well the pack tends to follow me so I know I need to come up with probably the best seven games of my life and then hopefully we’ll get over the line (promotion).”

They visit Leigh Centurions on Saturday, the side who replaced them in Super League this term.

Scruton added: “Every game’s important but if we can win one against a Super League side so early it’s almost one foot in the door.

“Halifax was probably a decent marker and a good test for next week as Leigh are going to be similar – a big, physical side.

“But they will be better so we know we have to be a lot better, too.

“We know we can go over there and win as we did in the Challenge Cup earlier this year but there’s added pressure on both teams now and it’s who handles it better who will come out with the points.”