Hull KR demolished Catalans Dragons as their attention returned to the Super League competition less than a week after lifting the Challenge Cup and ending their trophy hoodoo.
Here are some talking points from Friday’s Round 14 68-6 triumph.
No signs of Challenge Cup hangover
Ruthless Rovers shrugged off any fears of a cup hangover with a 12-try display against an ill-disciplined Catalans Dragons, who saw captain Ben Garcia sent off midway through the first half for punching. Franck Maria was also sin-binned for a high shot on Sauaso Sue, who passed a head injury assessment.
It was a celebratory atmosphere at Sewell Group Craven Park with the Challenge Cup in attendance, a sell-out crowd and a pre-match party.
There were also known parade plans for post-match, in which Hull KR players wanted to earn. They did just that, and celebrated accordingly with the fans after the Round 14 victory with the prestigious trophy.
Catalans were well in the contest for the opening exchanges, with Garcia held up in an attempt to open the scoring. But when Challenge Cup hero Tom Davies crossed for the game’s first on 14 minutes, the tries then flowed freely.
It’s a vital two points on the table, maintaining Rovers’ form at the top ahead of Wigan – who look to be their biggest rivals and obstacle in their bid to more glory in 2025.
Super Sue
“Prop forwards are not supposed to score tries like that,” Sky Sports commentator Dave Woods called as Sauaso Sue crossed for his first of the night.
The 33-year-old shrugged off a defender and then side-stepped his way to the line against the Catalans full-back in fantastic viewing for the home crowd.
He then bagged a brace for only the second time in his career, scoring either side of the break. The only other time was with Wests Tigers in 2016 against New Zealand Warriors, in a 36-24 victory.
Sue had a rollercoaster week, celebrating the Wembley win before facing tribunal on Tuesday. He was found not guilty of a Grade E spitting allegation from the Challenge Cup Final, which could have seen him banned for at least six games.
“I was really happy with him,” head coach Willie Peters said post-match. “A short turnaround, and the week we’ve all had. He’s played nearly every game, so it was a big ask to back up again.”
Points difference
With Matt Peet’s Wigan close behind in second spot on the table, points difference may prove vital at the end of the campaign.
However, Peters played down its importance at this stage of the season. “It helps, but it’s not something that we talk about ongoing,” he said.
“It’s too early in the season, the main focus is just winning games.”
Catalans Dragons enter unwanted record books
The Perpignan-based outfit were awful, and broke two unwanted records on the night. Catalans, with interim coach Joel Tomkins in charge, arrived in East Hull on a run of three games without scoring a point. They proceeded to set a new Super League record of 313 scoreless minutes, surpassing Wakefield’s previous record of 259.
Half-back Luke Keary eventually broke the unwanted streak in the second half.
That’s not all. It also marked the Dragons’ heaviest-ever Super League defeat, with their season unravelling. They remain outside of the top six, with just five wins all season.