York Knights 2 Hull KR 44: Super League side avoid banana skin in front of record crowd

The Robins were handed one of the tougher Challenge Cup draws following a radical overhaul that saw the top-flight sides kept apart and drawn away from home to create David versus Goliath ties at an early stage of the competition.

The visit of the 2024 Super League Grand Finalists created the desired interest in the form of a club-record crowd in excess of 4,281 at the LNER Community Stadium but Willie Peters' side avoided the potential banana skin to advance to round four.

A strong start by the Knights was a distant memory by the time Kelepi Tanginoa – the only KR survivor from the recent Amsterdam Challenge between the sides – scored the visitors' eighth try.

Rhyse Martin scored two tries in a 20-point haul and fellow debutant Tom Davies also opened his account at the first attempt.

Mikey Lewis helped turn the tide in the first half and finished with a double of his own to pick up where he left off last season.

York showed enough to offer Mark Applegarth encouragement – particularly in the opening quarter – but they had only Will Dagger's early penalty to show for their efforts.

On the evidence of their progress under Applegarth, the Knights will be a tough nut to crack in the Championship this season.

Both sides begin their league campaign next week and will be better for a competitive encounter, in KR's case a first hit-out of the year.

Two seasoned veterans lit the blue touchpaper, Paul McShane and Michael McIlorum clashing off the ball to spark an early melee, at least by modern standards.

KR debutant Jared Waerea-Hargreaves played the role of peacemaker in a surprising twist but the penalty went against the Robins, allowing former full-back Dagger to break the deadlock from the tee.

York more than held their own in the opening exchanges but began to lose their grip after conceding a relieving penalty, which became a theme of the first half.

The Knights initially held firm, defending set after set with the steel that took them from the bottom of the Championship to the play-off semi-finals last season.

But Rovers eventually wore them down led by last season's Man of Steel.

Lewis got the Robins off the mark in 2025 with a show and go out wide before turning provider to send Martin in for a debut try, the former Leeds Rhinos second-rower crawling over after losing his footing.

After Martin improved his own try with his first goal in KR colours, the visitors had York right where they wanted them.

The Knights started to drop off tackles as Rovers turned the screw, Peta Hiku breaking free of two tired efforts from York defenders to touch down.

Hiku came up with a try-saving tackle to deny Oli Field in the final minute of the half but the die had been cast.

Davies helped himself to a debut try from Hiku's pass following a well-executed shift to the right before Rovers showed the other side of their game to see off a spell of York pressure.

Almost immediately, KR went down the other end to score their fifth try through Martin.

Tyrone May provided the killer pass to take out York defenders and give Lewis all the time he needed to put his back-rower over for his second.

Niall Evalds was next to score after backing up a break by Jez Litten before the pair combined in a set move to allow Lewis to complete his brace.

Tanginoa rounded off the scoring from May's pass to put the seal on a strong performance from the Robins.

York Knights: Dagger, Brown, Buchanan, Field, Harrison, Hingano, Harris, Martin, McShane, Thompson, Dee, Bailey, Gannon. Substitutes: Santi, Teanby, Cook, Fitzsimmons.

Goals: Dagger 1/1

Hull KR: Evalds, Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, McIlorum, Waerea-Hargreaves, Martin, Batchelor, Minchella. Substitutes: Litten, Hadley, Whitbread, Tanginoa.

Tries: Lewis (21, 71), Martin (27, 58), Hiku (31), Davies (47), Evalds (65), Tanginoa (75)

Goals: Martin 6/8

Referee: Chris Kendall.