The Robins are licking their wounds after a heavy defeat at Headingley.
Sometimes, you’ve got to take your licks. That’s exactly what Hull KR will have to do this weekend.
They were well beaten at Leeds Rhinos, and however you try to dress it up, they were giving a good smack around the chops at Headingley on Thursday night.
In the first instance, you’ve got to give tremendous respect to the Rhinos. They were fantastic from start to finish, dominated in every area, and reinforced that they are genuine contenders this year.
That can be applicable while also saying Hull KR were poor, and that they were. It was off-colour for the Robins, who haven’t looked as fragile as that in the middle of the field for a long time, perhaps not since the heavy defeat to Catalans Dragons early on in the 2024 season.
Rovers were beaten up, that’s a rare occurrence, and with the ball, they were erratic.
In recent years, Willie Peters’ side has made a habit of silencing doubters and answering all questions. Last week’s win at Wigan was a perfect example.
The challenge now is to take the uppercut the Rhinos threw at them, get off the canvas and recover after suffering a bloodied nose. Historically, Rovers have done that well.
If there is one lingering doubt surrounding the Robins, it’s their ability to manage games when they are behind. So often this year, they have been the frontrunners, the team that scores first and applying scoreboard pressure.
In the rare instances they’ve not done that, they haven’t always particularly dealt with it well.
Two particular instances come to mind. The first was at Wembley, when they went in behind to Warrington after their try just before half-time. Trailing, Rovers were frantic with the ball and made a heap of handling errors. Ultimately, a heroic defensive display meant they always had a chance. We all know what happened there.
Last night was similar. Once they fell behind, they overplayed too often, making needless errors and poor decisions. They just needed to relax and apply some pressure. There was a degree of that in the game against Leigh Leopards, too.
The defeat to Wigan was slightly different. They fell away near the end but had been leading for most of the game. There is a counterargument that against Leeds at Headingley earlier in the year, they stormed back to win it at the death.
But it is perhaps one area that Rovers need to refine as they enter the business end of the season. Ultimately, things won’t always go their way.
With all that being said, they are still in a fantastic position, one that everyone else is envious of. For Rovers, that’s the focus. They remain on the brink of a domestic double and a home semi-final.
There’s no need to overanalyse this defeat, but simply respond correctly.