Hull KR have won their second trophy of the season
Hull KR have done the double after surviving an almighty scare to defeat Warrington and win the League Leaders’ Shield.
Willie Peters’ side scored two late tries to win 28-20, having astonishingly trailed Sam Burgess’ weakened side with less than 20 minutes to play.
For Rovers, they will still not be satisfied with their performance. But that’s something to worry about next week. For now, they have secured a second piece of major silverware this year. They are one win from the Grand Final, two wins from the treble.
My word, they will have to improve on the last three performances if they want to achieve all of that. But a win is a win, certainly in these circumstances. Don’t understate the significance of this latest milestone.
Willie Peters decided to make three changes to his side but none of them could be considered as being squad rotation or players being wrapped in cotton wool.
Noah Booth, Sauaso Sue and Rhyse Martin were all recalled, with Bill Leyland, Eribe Doro and Jack Brown dropping out. Rovers were very much picking a full-strength side.
The enormity of the occasion could be felt before the game. It could even be sensed during a stroll through Craven Streat, which liked its usual vibrancy and energy. Last week’s defeat, and the pressure that came with that, had made for a nervy occasion.
So you can imagine how things turned for the worse when an understrength Warrington took the lead after four minutes. A Danny Walker 40/20 put Warrington in position before Rovers were guilty of ball-watching as nobody contested a cross-field kick, and Josh Thewlis strolled in untouched for an easy try. Marc Sneyd converted.
Rovers were really panicking minutes later when Walker kicked another 40/20, and Cai Taylor-Wray darted over after stepping inside. Thankfully for Rovers, it was pulled back for obstruction and the try was disallowed.
Still, Rovers weren’t firing. They looked disjointed, scruffy and were attacking without invention. They looked scatty.
Step up Tyrone May, who scored a relieving try that appeared like it would set the tone for the Robins as he took the ball to the line, rode Joe Philbin’s tackle, and raced through to score. He slammed the ball into advertising hoardings, part in frustration, part in relief. Martin kicked them level.
By half-time, Hull KR appeared to have the game under control. Two Booth tries appeared to have settled down. His first came off neat play from Mikey Lewis, who managed to catch and pass quickly from a Rhyse Martin pat down to create an overlap, with Oliver Gildart putting his wing man away.
Ten minutes later, a similar play followed. Lewis put Gildart in space, he drew the defender, Booth did the rest. A Martin conversion gave them a 16-6 lead. Was it deserved? Probably not. Was it comfortable? Absolutely not.
Rovers thought they had scored through Mourgue shortly after the break after rolling over. However, it was given as a double movement.
That would instigate ten moments of madness in which Rovers went from appearing in control to the League Leaders’ Shield slipping from their grasp.
The nerves started to emerge again when Sam Stone raced to meet Ewan Irwin’s grubber first, reducing the arrears to six. Four minutes later, Mourgue slipped and dropped a kick, Warrington went on the attack and Adam Holroyd smashed through the defence to score under the sticks. Sneyd converted, Warrington were level, Craven Park was silenced.
Fingernails were shortening, and hair was greying now. Worst fears were soon realised. Lewis’ attempted kick take saw him fumble. Warrington played down the right, Dufty but Jake Thewlis to the line. Warrington, incredibly, had the lead with less than 20 minutes to play.
Rovers looked stunned. They most probably were. But when they needed some flair, they turned to their Frenchman.
Mourgue’s marauding magic was the gamebreaker, a try that will live long in Craven Park’s memory. Claiming a high kick 15 from his own line, the diminutive fullback dodged, ducked, weaved, breached, sprinted, scored. He beat four defenders and just had the speed to beat Taylor-Wray from distance. Craven Park erupted.
It did again a minute later as Martin nailed the conversion from out wide. A clutch moment from the talismanic goal-kicker. Rovers had a two-point lead with 11 minutes to play.
And then, the euphoria kicked in three minutes from time as May got his second, showing incredible determination to wriggle out of several tackles and score under the posts. The relief and delight was clear for all to see. Rovers had done the double.
Hull KR: Arthur Mourgue, Tom Davies, Peta Hiku, Oliver Gildart, Noah Booth, Mikey Lewis, Tyrone May, Sauaso Sue, Jez Litten, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dean Hadley, James Batchelor, Elliot Minchella. Subs: Sam Luckley, Jai Whitbread, Rhyse Martin, Jack Broadbent.
Tries: May (23, 77), Booth (33, 40), Mourgue (69)
Goals: Martin 4/5
Warrington: Cai Taylor-Wray, Josh Thewlis, Toby King, Matt Dufty, Jake Thewlis, Ewan Irwin, Marc Sneyd, Joe Philbin, Danny Walker, Luke Thomas, Sam Stone, Adam Holroyd, Ryan Matterson. Subs: Sam Powell, Lucas Green, Max Wood, Tom McKinney.
Tries: Josh Thewlis (4, 61), Stone (51), Holroyd (55)
Goals: Sneyd 2/4