The player ratings from the huge Super League shock.
Hull KR’s Tyrone May is tackled by York’s Justin Sangare.
Hull KR suffered a huge opening night upset in Super League, with York Knights introducing themselves to the Super League competition with a late 19-18 win over the reigning champions.
Ata Hingano kicked the winning drop-goal in the late exchanges, with York overturning an 18-6 deficit.
Here are our player ratings.
Arthur Mourgue – 5: Willie Peters said he looks zippy after his first Hull KR pre-season, and he certainly did in the conditions. But York had the answers to Rovers’ spine across the 80 minutes.
Tom Davies – 7: Produced an excellent try-saving tackle on his opposite number, and got stuck in with ball in hand to make yardage. Unlucky not to be involved in England conversations most last year – perhaps an eye on this year’s World Cup?
Peta Hiku – 6: The veteran centre had plenty of ball to try to inspire his side, but York held strong.
Oliver Gildart – 5: 65 minutes until later replaced by Jack Broadbent. It’s only round one, but there’s no questioning how slick his step his when he gets the chance. Sam Wood scored down his edge twice, although with circumstances.
Joe Burgess – 5: Important to remember this is the first game for a handful of Hull KR’s stars, not featuring against Wakefield in pre-season or in the Challenge Cup third round. However, didn’t heavily feature on the night.
Mikey Lewis – 4: His sin-bin the turning point. An unnecessary yellow card for late contact on Liam Harris after a kick, putting his team-mates under pressure. York crossed against a 12-man Hull KR, and had the momentum to complete a comeback.
Tyrone May – 5: Ran the ball a lot, taking on the line and trying to spot gaps. But again, York had the answers when Hull KR spread it wide.
Sauaso Sue – 6: A strong second stint, scoring a try untouched with Rovers eventually finding luck down the middle, thanks to Jez Litten.
Jez Litten – 8: An early worry as the England international was forced off for a head injury assessment after coming off second best in the first set of the game. Thankfully, he passed and returned to really threaten York when fatigue came kicking in. Hull KR’s best on the night, assisting all three tries.
Jack Brown – 5: A late change to the starting line-up for Dean Hadley, who was withdrawn late on precautionary grounds. Others were stronger.
Rhyse Martin – 5: Kicked three from three goals, and was replaced midway through the second half.
James Batchelor – 5: An influential member of Hull KR’s squad, and will have bigger impact along the way in 2026.
Elliot Minchella – 5: Two successful captain’s challenges, but will urge his side for better disciplinary moving forward. Nine penalties given away before half-time.
Jack Broadbent – 4: Hard to judge, with almost an N/A. Only came on late for Gildart.
Sam Luckley – 5: Returning from off-season knee surgery, the prop made a decent impact from the bench.
Jai Whitbread – 7: The interchange forward gave away a cheap penalty in the first half for a late shot, but later made up for it with two tries either side of half-time. A crashing effort for his first, and found space with his second close to the line. Had another ruled out for double movement, too.
Karl Lawton – 5: Immediately showcased his utility on his Super League debut, playing at hooker and in the front-row. The new recruit has been tipped to make a big impact across 2026 by head coach Willie Peters.