Rovers turned in a professional performance to thump a Wigan team with 10 debutants
Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis scores a try against Wigan Warriors
Hull KR head to Wembley on the back of a huge win over Wigan Warriors at Craven Park as they saw off Matt Peet’s youngsters 62-4
The Robins scored 11 tries in the game, with seven coming before half-time alone as they put next week’s Cup final opponents to the sword.
That’s what the history books will read, but the truth is, this wasn’t the side KR will be facing next week in the capital. It was nowhere near it actually with Matt Peet taking the decision to hand out 10 debuts and rest almost every single member of his first-team squad.
That decision effectively killed the game as a contest, especially given Willie Peters was always going to go with his strongest side or something close to it in this one, with nine days to go until their big day under the Wembley arch.
Peters has been stung by naming a weakened team in the past and it’s fair to say that taking the approach Wigan did just isn’t in his make up as a head coach.
It was full speed ahead from Rovers and they performed professionally throughout, but as a Super League match this one was farcical.
Rovers could only beat what was put in front of them, though, and that’s what they did ruthlessly.
Mikey Lewis got the ball rolling for the Robins in the opening few minutes, as he darted through a gaping hole in the line and over from close range.
The England international got a second shortly after, following up on Tom Davies’ break down the edge to touch down.
Davies scored KR’s third before Lewis completed his hat-trick in the 18th minute of the game, capitalising on a quick play the ball from Jai Whitbread to scoot through and over.
Jez Litten got the next one, diving over under the sticks before Whitbread and Rhyse Martin completed a rout of a first half.
Rovers continued to dominate after the break, but they lost their zero when Nathan Lowe pounced on a dropped ball from Oliver Gildart to run 80 metres and finish in the corner.
Dean Hadley was the first to score for Rovers in the second half before Jack Broadbent put Noah Booth over. Broadbent got himself on the scoreboard shortly after.
The night took a slight turn for the worse when Hadley left the field in the closing 10 minutes with what looked to be a head injury, putting his place at Wembley in doubt, but Sam Luckley rounded things off with a try in the closing stages.
Onto Wembley then and KR go with the psychological upper hand of sorts.