High praise for Hull KR’s double act.
Hull KR’s Tyrone May has registered 17 assists in Super League so far this year.
Willie Peters has been credited with helping unlock the best version of Tyrone May, with former stars Kevin Brown and Robbie Hunter-Paul praising Hull KR’s influential half-back combination.
May and Mikey Lewis have been at the heart of Rovers’ remarkable rise under Willie Peters, with May’s outstanding form earning him a place on the Man of Steel shortlist announced last month.
Both men were on the scoresheet in Hull KR’s dramatic defeat to Wakefield Trinity, with May weaving his way through the Trinity defence for a superb solo try in the second half.
Lewis also continued his prolific campaign, crossing for his 14th try of the season. The England international sits second in the Super League scoring charts behind Leeds Rhinos winger Maika Sivo. May, meanwhile, has produced more assists than any other player to date with 17.
The influential duo were put under the microscope ahead of kick-off at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, with Brown full of praise for May’s transformation.
“He’s quality, and he’s been quality all year,” the ex-England international said on the BBC.
“I think he’s a real integral part of the attack now. For me, he’s turned into that proper number seven where he organises. It’s also his tempo – he does things at a pace where you’d expect him to get caught, but he’s toying with defences whether it’s with a kick, a pass or a run.
“He’s creating so much space for these exceptional outside-backs and his half-back partner in Mikey Lewis.”
Brown added: “You’ve got to give Willie Peters a massive amount of credit. He’s clearly put work into him, made sure he’s accountable for his actions and I look at him defensively, he’s a completely different player to what he was at Catalans. He was a good player at Catalans – he’s a great player at Hull KR.”
Bradford Bulls legend Hunter-Paul was equally complimentary, comparing the Rovers playmakers to a rockstar and a jazz musician.
“Mikey Lewis is your rockstar, and Tyrone May is your jazz musician,” said the former New Zealand representative.
“Everything he [May] does is just super cool, he takes his time and he never looks panicked – and I think that panics defenders. There’s so much mystique to what he does, and he does it in his own way.”