Elliot Minchella was an emotional figure following the 2025 season.
Hull KR captain Elliot Minchella perhaps cut the most emotional figure of all after leading his side to ultimate glory at Old Trafford, paying a heartfelt tribute to head coach Willie Peters in the aftermath of their historic Grand Final triumph.
It has been a journey defined by determination and resilience for Minchella, who left Leeds Rhinos under a cloud in 2015 and spent time playing part-time before earning another Super League opportunity with the Robins.
Minchella credited Peters for transforming his career after completing a remarkable comeback by lifting the Super League trophy at Old Trafford earlier this month, insisting he “owes him everything.”
“A lot of dark times, tough moments, hard work, adversity, but I just persevered,” said the loose forward, who played for Bradford Bulls and Sheffield Eagles in the Championship.
“We say at the club that when you have a setback, it’s what you do next. I think that’s a great lesson in life.
“People deal with things, difficulties, but it’s how you respond, and don’t get me wrong, I’m not a perfect person, but I like to think that I’ve persevered and worked hard.
“The boss [Peters] pushed me along. Three years ago now, we had a really deep conversation about a difficult moment for me in my career. I owe him everything to be honest. It wouldn’t have been possible without the guy next to me.”
Minchella, 29, secured his name into Hull KR folklore after inspiring his team to an unprecedented season in East Hull.
Despite already winning the League Leaders’ Shield and the Challenge Cup, his Rovers side arrived in Manchester on October 11 as underdogs. But they blocked out the outside noise, trusted their belief, and dethroned Wigan Warriors to complete a stunning treble.
“I’m very overwhelmed and very emotional, to be honest,” Minchella said.
“If I tried to sum that up, it’s just an unbelievable feeling, and I’m so proud to be a part of this unbelievable club.”
Australian head coach Peters, who was named Super League coach of the year for a second consecutive season, had urged his players to seize their moments on the biggest stage, and his stars delivered.
Mikey Lewis prevented Bevan French from touching down for the game’s first try, before the 2024 Man of Steel opened the scoring with a piece of solo brilliance to break Wigan’s defence.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves left his best Hull KR appearance until last, Joe Burgess ended his personal Grand Final hoodoo with two tries, and Jez Litten added an abundance of energy from the bench to score in the second half.
Veteran hooker Michael McIlorum also enjoyed a fairytale ending, playing through a fractured ankle to end his career on his own terms.
“It was tough. It was a Grand Final. It pushes your body and your lungs to the limit,” Minchella said, having played enormous minutes at the Theatre of Dreams.
“We speak about, in those moments, you get this little voice in your mind, and it’s the easy-way-out voice, it’s the guy who quits, the guy who takes the easy option, the guy who doesn’t take pressure, do his job.
“In every game, you’ve got to block it out, but in moments like the Grand Final, you’ve got to tell that guy to get on his bike. If you want to win, you’ve got to do that, because the easy option doesn’t get you silverware.
“It was tough to push yourself to the limit, 1-17, everybody giving everything they’ve got, and we got what we deserved.”
This story was included in our Hull KR treble special supplement.
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