Hull KR coach Willie Peters believes it’s time some of his fellow Aussies gave Super League the respect it deserves – and he’s hoping a World Club Challenge win will do just that.
It’s universally accepted the NRL is the pinnacle of the sport, but Super League has made in-roads into that gulf in quality, even if not into the financial mismatch between the competitions.
Some of that shift can be seen in World Club Challenge results in recent years. After winning just one of eight contents between the best club sides in the northern and southern hemisphere, Super League have won the last two and a win for Peters’ treble-winning Rovers team will be the first time the British game has won three in a row for 20 years.
Despite being the hosts, Rovers will go into tonight’s game at the MKM Stadium as underdogs, but the KR head coach is very confident in his side’s ability. He’s hoping a victory and the manner of Rovers’ performance will warm the British game the respect he feels it deserves.
“We know the responsibility on us in this game,” said Peters. “There’s a responsibility not only to our local community in how we represent them, but there’s also a responsibility to the British game, to play a certain way and represent them in the best way.
“People talk about the NRL is the pinnacle in terms of the competition and we need to acknowledge that, but we’re not that far behind.
“There’s a game here and a product here that we need get out to as many people as we can. We need a wider audience and people need to see it because it is a great brand.
“We’ve got an opportunity to be able to showcase that on a world stage and probably earn some respect from people that probably don’t respect the British game the way it should be respected.”