Exclusive: The dual-code legend has delivered his verdict on Hull KR after their chaotic start to the season.
Jason Robinson, pictured with the World Cup trophy with Kevin Sinfield in 2022, has delivered his verdict on Hull KR’s chaotic start to the year.
Hull KR finally found lift-off in their Super League season with a 32-6 win over Huddersfield Giants – and dual-code legend Jason Robinson reckons the Robins could now hit their stride with the Challenge Cup next up.
The reigning champions produced a clinical, professional display against an injury-hit Huddersfield at the Accu Stadium for their first win of the year in round four.
It followed one of the most chaotic starts to a new year for a club, with Rovers defeating Brisbane Broncos in a historic World Club Challenge before jetting off to Las Vegas to take part in the NRL’s Sin City showcase event.
Returning back on home soil, Rovers crossed for six tries against the Giants to get their first points on the board – and former England and Great Britain star Robinson believes they could now begin to find some form.
“Hull KR were absolutely brilliant last season,” Robinson, speaking on behalf of BetSelect, said. “To win the Super League Grand Final and the Challenge Cup was a phenomenal achievement. But with that success, they come into this season under a large amount of pressure.
“St Helens and Wigan have done it in recent years, but not many teams can go back-to-back – only the very best.
“They’ve definitely started the year with mixed fortunes, I think that’s fair to say. You saw the defeat at York Knights on the opening weekend and thought: how on earth has that happened?
“But then they followed that up with a winning performance in the World Club Challenge against Brisbane Broncos. That match will have taken a lot out of the players, though, and you could see that in Las Vegas with Leeds Rhinos putting 50 points on them.
“That was a drubbing. So that’s three unexpected results in a row.
“Willie Peters is a really sharp coach, though, and he apologised to the fans, which was the right thing to do given they had travelled all that way to America. But this Hull KR side always seem to win when they need to – they bounced back against Huddersfield Giants and found some form.”