Willie Peters admits Hull KR 'didn't want it enough' in Wembley defeat to Wigan Warriors

The Robins arrived at the national stadium as favourites after winning all four trophies in a remarkable period of success but they were humbled by the Challenge Cup kings beneath the arch.

Led by rising star Jack Farrimond, who earned the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match, Wigan overpowered their rivals in stifling heat to avenge last year's Grand Final loss to Rovers.

KR – already without Jai Whitbread after he stayed in Hull for the birth of his first child – lost forward Dean Hadley to a head injury in the early stages but Peters had no excuses after his final Wembley appearance fell flat.

"Wigan were outstanding so I don't want to take that away from them but there were periods in that game that just wasn't us," said the Rovers boss. "The hungrier side certainly won.

"We had some opportunities in that first half but we didn't want it enough. Then when Wigan defended their tryline, we felt sorry for ourselves and gave penalties away and didn't handle that.

"But as much as we weren't at our best, Wigan were very good."

The manner of the defeat stood in stark contrast to KR's stunning 2025 campaign when the Warriors were distinctly second best.

Peters acknowledged that Wigan relished their role as unlikely underdogs.

"They've had a whole pre-season thinking about us and hating on us and making sure they got it right against us on the big occasions," he said. "That was evident to see.

"I'd like to think that we can replicate that and finish on our terms at the back end of the year and be as hungry as they were – because they were very hungry."

Hadley overcame a hamstring scare to walk out at Wembley but his afternoon was cut short after just three minutes.

The loss of the experienced forward was keenly felt by the Robins.

"He’s okay but obviously disappointed," said Peters. "It hurts because Dean was going to play a full game.

"I’ve said it before but he’s so valuable to us and certainly around the interchanges and how that looks. For him to go straight away, players had to play bigger minutes than normal.

"That’s no excuse for the result or way we performed; we need to handle that better.”

Wigan head coach Matt Peet, meanwhile, insisted star half-back Bevan French will not cruise back into his starting line-up despite stepping out of the treatment room to play a cameo role in their seven-try victory.

French returned from a hamstring injury six weeks earlier than planned, marking his appearance on the hour mark by scoring a try within two minutes after his understudy, Farrimond, had paved the way to victory with two first-half tries.

Peet stressed that Farrimond is still the man in charge of the shirt as he shapes up for the remainder of the Super League season.

Peet said: "Jack is the incumbent. He got us here and we have every confidence in him. Bevan’s a very good player to be able to carry on the bench and I would have been comfortable with him playing for the full 80 minutes.

"I was very confident and I knew that if it didn’t go his way it wouldn’t be through lack of effort or poor practice. Some weeks he’ll turn up like he did here and have the time of his life and other weeks he won’t.

"With 20 minutes left Bevan said ‘I’m 100 per cent ready to go’ and I’m glad I got him on so the fans got to see him and he scored a nice try. Jack killed it and gets the Lance Todd and we managed to get some minutes for Bevan. We’re going to need both of them moving forward."