Willie Peters warns Hull KR loyalty will be tested after Leeds Rhinos capitulation
Willie Peters has warned Hull KR that recent achievements only count for so much as they look to prove last week’s capitulation against Leeds Rhinos was a one-off.
Rovers arrived in Las Vegas as the newly-crowned world club champions, only to suffer a humbling 58-6 defeat.
Peters, who also saw his team fall to York Knights in round one of Super League, must find a way to get a response from the Robins at Huddersfield Giants on Sunday.
"You can look at it two ways: we could make changes or give guys an opportunity to redeem themselves," said the KR head coach. "That's something we'll decide later in the week.
"I've shown loyalty to players when individuals probably haven't played that well and then they've repaid that over time.
"There weren't too many positives from the game last weekend individually or collectively.
"I don't forget what players have done previously but now it's about what we do going forward. We can't hold onto what we've done in the past. It's a new season and a new opportunity."
Peters, who is at the start of his fourth term with the Robins, ranked the performance at Allegiant Stadium as the worst of his reign.
The Australian has delivered some home truths in the wake of the 10-try drubbing.
"I've been honest with them," added Peters. "What we delivered last weekend is not acceptable.
"I've owned my part of it and it's important every individual owns theirs. If you do that, you can move forward and get things done.
"But once you start pointing the finger and blaming others, that's when it goes from bad to worse.
"We'd like to think we've got a culture here where everyone is accountable. Now it's about actions and not words.
"But I'll always be honest with the players and let them know what I'm thinking. I've got a saying: if you see something, say something. Otherwise, it builds up.
"It's important for culture to say something if someone is doing something that isn't in line with those standards."
Last year's treble winners boasted the meanest defence in Super League on their way to the title, conceding just 292 points across the 27-game regular season.
Rovers, by contrast, have shipped 77 in their first two games of the new campaign and gave up five tries in their World Club Challenge victory over Brisbane Broncos.
Peters has urged his team to get back to basics when they visit Huddersfield.
"When you have a heavy loss like that, it's important that you focus on the little things you want to get right," he said.
"As long as we get those right, we can start building blocks to where we want to get to midway through the year.
"When you're beaten in every area, you need to narrow your focus. We'll judge ourselves on our defence this week. It's an area we pride ourselves on.
"We need to do that and also make sure we compete on every play. If we focus on those two areas, it'll put us in good stead to be in the game."