Hull KR stick to what works as Wigan Warriors roll the dice at start of decisive nine days

Rovers and Wigan have taken different approaches to their Challenge Cup build-up

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As January gave way to February and we welcomed in a new month with the type of enthusiasm that only the start of the rugby league season can bring, there seemed to be only one topic surrounding treble winners from East Hull – could Hull KR extend the greatest period in the club’s history, and how long for?

A World Club Challenge triumph over Brisbane Broncos would provide an immediate answer to that question and next week’s Challenge Cup final against Wigan Warriors could provide the latest resounding update to that question. But first, the two very recent rivals meet at Sewell Group Craven Park for a small matter of two Super League points.

It’s a quirk so often seen in sport where the fixture computer happens to pit sides against each other a week before they are due to meet in a major game. As that first encounter of the season between the two approaches the stance in approach couldn’t be any different.

Rovers head coach Willie Peters was never going to rest a whole host of players, unlike his Wigan counterpart Matt Peet, it’s not something that appears to sit well with the Aussie. Meanwhile, the Warriors coach has named a squad which the average Super League fan will struggle to recognise. I’d suggest recognising more than six of the 19 players named would be a challenge, with potentially 10 players to make a debut against Rovers on Thursday night.

There’s resting up some senior names, which admittedly Peters may do due to fitness concerns, and then there’s this approach from Peet.

Is it a gamble? Yes, but only in as much as doing the opposite like Peters is also a gamble should any of his players pick up an injury. What we can say is it underlines the respect Wigan have for Rovers and the size of the task that awaits them at Wembley.

What we can also say is, Rovers’ approach is not a surprise to anyone. Peters has history. You can look back at the week before last season’s Wembley showpiece when against St Helens the KR coach went with his strongest possible side, with Michael McIllorum, Dean Hadley and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves brought in for the final having not really been in contention to play the week before through varying injuries. There was no big changes, with Peters preferring momentum and familiarity.

Rewind to those pre-season conversations in late January and early February, with one key subplot emerging. Rovers played just one pre-season game to get ready for the defence of their trophies.

There were concerns of being undercooked. Those concerns were amplified when York Knights won on the opening night, but Peters was playing the long game. Asked about his side’s preparations in those early weeks of February, the Rovers boss made it clear his squad were building for a season that would see them play every week through to the Grand Final on October 3.

Rovers planned to not have a week off, the early months were built around it and so as the two Cup finalists meet the week before Wembley, it was never going to be a case of finding time to rest up for Rovers, it was always going to be to stick to the plan, keep the rhythm, keep up the momentum and keep that historic golden winning period going.

Keeping a strong side on the pitch is key to that in Peters’ eyes, but that doesn’t mean you lose all sensibility when it comes to ensuring players who need a break get one, especially if carrying a knock. And so, expect to see some changes this evening.

“There’s no doubt there’ll be some players we need to look at. It’s not so much a rest but it’s just managing because there’s players carrying a few different things,” explained Peters on Tuesday afternoon.