Hull KR boss Willie Peters issues Hull KR challenge in Wigan Warriors showdown.
Hull KR boss Willie Peters has laid down a challenge to his spine to seize the moment in tonight’s top-of-the-table Super League showdown against Wigan Warriors at the Brick Community Stadium.
The Robins have lost their last three meetings with Matt Peet’s Cherry and Whites, including last year’s Grand Final at Old Trafford. But a win tonight would not only close the gap on a historic first League Leaders’ Shield – it would also send a powerful message to the reigning Grand Slam champions.
With England halves Harry Smith and Mikey Lewis set to go head-to-head, eager to impress international boss Shaun Wane, Peters has called on his spine to take control of the heavyweight encounter.
“There’s been some blow-out games in there, but a lot of the games are tight and I’ll be honest, it’s the spine that have a lot of say in it,” Peters said.
“I always talk about how forwards win games – our forwards do a great job, but the challenge will be for our spine and making sure they can ice their moments with our edge.
“A big responsibility will be around them. If you have a look at a lot of those games, there has been a key factor in a lot of them and that’s Bevan French or other key spine players in their team. Most of the time, it’s some individual brilliance from him and that’s what it takes.
“You look at the best players all over the world, they step up in big games.
“I’m looking for our spine to step up because I know what we’re going to get from our middles and what platform they’ll set, so I’m really looking forward to our spine stepping up and enjoy big moments.”
Peters also remains wary of Wigan’s superstar French, who may yet feature despite being sidelined since late June with a calf injury. The 2023 Man of Steel was named in Matt Peet’s extended squad for last week’s clash against Warrington Wolves but did not feature – though he’s again listed ahead of tonight’s blockbuster.
Still, head coach Peters insists Hull KR must focus on what they can control.
“We’ve got to prepare that he is playing, but you’ve got to prepare for different scenarios,” Peters added.
“You can’t predict or control what opposition teams are doing, but you have got a lot of control around what we do. When we train, our focus going into games is around what we can control…so this week has been no different.
“We know the type of player Bevan is, but I think young [Jack] Farrimond is a good player as well and similar in terms of good feet.
“Who knows? They may go with someone else, but we can expect that as well.”