Dean Hadley has enjoyed a fine season at Hull KR.
Hull KR are confident familiarity will breed success once again this season as the 2025 treble winners set their sights on building a Super League dynasty. Club owner Neil Hudgell and CEO Paul Lakin have both spoken openly about driving the Robins to the next level in establishing them as the dominant force in the British game, with the players buying in to that objective under back-to-back coach of the year Willie Peters.
Among them is forward Dean Hadley, KR’s longest-serving player alongside hooker and fellow Hull-born star Jez Litten. Now aged 33, Hadley has see the incredible growth in East Hull and the rise of the Robins, playing a key role as one of the most underrated players by those outside of Hull KR and one of the most important with his ability to play anywhere across the pack.
Hadley will line up for his eighth season at Craven Park with a familiar family around him, with the majority of KR’s Grand Final-winning team ready to go again. There have been additions, most notably Dream Team player Tom Amone and experienced Aussie Karl Lawton, but there will be a very familiar look to Rovers this evening when they begin their title defence at newcomers York Knights. And that, says Hadley, is a big key to the club’s success.
“You look at any successful team in any sport and they have a core group of players that have played together for some time,” says Hadley.
“Whenever you have a group where the majority have been together like that, you build connections and relationships. It’s important to bring new energy too with new signings, and we’ve done that. But the majority of us have been together for three years now and we want to carry on together winning things.
“We are really confident we can do that. We’ve got a top squad here and we’ve brought some new staff in as well who have brought their piece to it. They’re different, but I think we’ve got the people, the staff here that we can go and achieve more success.”
The new year can start how the old one left off for Rovers with the World Club Challenge and Brisbane Broncos to play next week, followed nine days later by a clash against Leeds Rhinos in Last Vegas. First up the focus is on overcoming the newly promoted Knights, as the club get a first taste of Super League in its 30th year.
The Knights have effectively recruited a whole new team since being promoted at the end of last season through the IMG Gradings, with York’s headline signing being former Australian Test player Paul Vaughan, who left Warrington Wolves to sign for the Knights.
There could be a danger with so much on the horizon for Rovers that the opening game of Super League becomes almost a side show. Thankfully for the competition and for those heading to York this evening, Rovers appear determined to make sure that is not the case.
“We know obviously we’ve got some big games, exciting games coming up, but for me this York game is an exciting one,” added Hadley.
“It’s obviously the first Super League game and we get to kick off the Super League season and going to York at a newly promoted side. I think it’s going to be a sell-out crowd as well, so that’s awesome. This is one I’m really looking forward to and getting the Super League season up and running, that should be good.”