Peta Hiku scored Hull KR’s only tries on the day
Hull KR’s Peta Hiku scores a try against Wigan.
Hull KR certainly won’t be lacking motivation now as they attempt to retain their league title over the second half of the season.
The Robins were thumped 40-10 by Wigan Warriors in the Challenge Cup final on Saturday on what was a day to forget for Willie Peters’ side.
However, while the result was obviously hard to take for Rovers and their travelling fans, the fire is now burning stronger than ever in the bellies of the first-team squad.
Wigan had that drive inside them after last year’s defeat in the Grand Final to KR and Saturday’s Cup final was a by-product of that, with the Warriors using that as motivation this week.
Now it’s Rovers’ turn to be left with a bitter taste in their mouths and Peta Hiku is backing them to bounce back strongly.
“I think we lost the physical battle from start to finish,” Hiku said. “We knew they had it in their game and if you do that in big games, it’s not going to happen.
“It’s disappointing and frustrating. Obviously this is one of the goals you set out at the start of the year when you’re doing pre-season. It is disappointing to come this far and lose at the last game.
“I think that [drive] is the only positive you can take out of this. The moments, the pictures, the memories – that’s stuff you have to use to fuel the fire and get back to the drawing board next week. I suppose that’s the best thing about the Challenge Cup; you can go again next week.
“It fuels the fire. It’s just a bit more motivation to go into next week.
“We have to focus on what’s ahead of us; we’ll cross paths later on in the year but this is just a bit more that we hold to fuel the fire.”