Assessing the problem that Jon Wilkin claims could cost Hull KR

Hull KR eased to a derby day win over Hull FC on Good Friday as they won 34-10 but it was yet another game where the Robins failed to fully punish their opponents due to a lack of conversions.

Goal-kicking has been a major issue for Hull KR so far in 2024 with the club having begun the season without a recognised kicker and having had to hold kicking trials at practice throughout pre-season.

Per Willie Peters, the three men who fought it out were James Batchelor, Mikey Lewis and Peta Hiku with the Kiwi international being the man who earned the job, however, a nightmare opener that saw him kick one of five led to him relinquishing the role.

James Batchelor also attempted a kick in that game without success which saw the team change kicker for game two against Leeds Rhinos with hooker Jez Litten being the man selected, despite there being no real mention of him within the kicking competition at the start of the year.

Litten went five for five in that game and looked to be the answer to all of Hull KR’s problems especially as he operated at a 100% success rate in the losses to Salford and Warrington, however, kicking still managed to cost the Robins those games.

That’s because Litten wasn’t on the field for the full 80 minutes. Just like the majority of hookers in Super League, he is spelled on and off meaning at times the Robins are left without their first-choice kicker, something that cost them in the loss to Warrington.

Hull KR lost 22-20 but missed two conversions in that game, both by James Batchelor whilst Litten was off the pitch, proving just how essential the art of converting four to six really is and that’s something that Sky Sports’ pundit Jon Wilkin has outlined as the major problem for Hull KR that could prevent them from success.

After the Hull derby in which Litten missed four of six conversions, Wilkin said: “Kicking goals is a problem for them. Jez Litten is a hooker and is off the field sometimes and to win big games you need goal-kicking.”

Mikey Lewis did notch the second-half conversion from in front of the sticks but in closer games, such as the Warrington clash, kicking could become a major problem for the Robins and the question is how do they remedy it?

What kicking options do Hull KR have?

Hull KR did have a minor issue midway through the season in 2023 when they struggled with goal-kicking following Lachlan Coote’s retirement but loanee Brad Schneider came in and did a very respectable job, kicking 29 from 37 in Super League and five from five in the Challenge Cup.

Those stats put Schneider’s success rate at 81% which is very respectable with elite players such as Stefan Ratchford and Marc Sneyd both kicking at 85.7% in Super League in 2023, whilst beginning the 2024 season with records of 14 from 15 and a perfect 25 from 25 for Sneyd.

Currently, Jez Litten has kicked 12 from 19 in Super League and five from seven in the Challenge Cup giving him an overall success rate of 65%, but an even bigger issue emerges when Litten doesn’t kick with the Robins posting an abysmal record of three from thirteen which is just 23%.

That puts the Robins’ overall success rate at 47% which will certainly hinder them from achieving the success that they are aiming for when it comes to winning big play-off matches and silverware. So, do Hull KR have any alternatives?

Litten has proven to be successful at a rate where games can certainly be won and it’s worth noting that his misses have come during games that the Robins cruised to victory in with the past three matches seeing him kick nine from eighteen, but each game has seen KR win handily.

Mikey Lewis could also be another option with the half-back regularly playing the full 80 minutes and having kicked at times in 2023, however, he did so at a rate of just below 50% which further illustrates Hull KR’s problem.

Hull KR’s kicking dilemma

Perhaps the easiest solution to their problem is to somehow roster Ben Reynolds in their matchday squads with the Challenge Cup-winning half currently being the Robins’ back-up but having an excellent record with the boot across his career.

Reynolds kicked 75 from 93 in Super League last year, a success rate of just over 80%, whilst he kicked 57 from 76 during Leigh’s Championship-winning campaign which was a success rate of 75%.

He would vastly improve the Red and Whites’ kicking problem but the issue becomes how do you field him ahead of the incredible pairing of Lewis and May? Furthermore, where could you possibly squeeze him into a backline that features the likes of Ryan Hall, Oliver Gildart, Peta Hiku, Joe Burgess and Niall Evalds?

It’s a major headache for Willie Peters to have although the solution does seem relatively clear. Mikey Lewis and Tyrone May are an unbreakable pairing on current form and offer the Robins so much going forward, to sacrifice one of their talents for Reynolds is out of the question.

That’s not a slight on Ben Reynolds who produced a fine 2023 campaign with Leigh Leopards and was arguably one of the key players in the club’s Challenge Cup Final win over Hull KR, however, he doesn’t have the dynamism that either May or Lewis bring.

Instead, the Robins have got to show faith in Jez Litten and hope he can eek his percentages up closer to 70 or even 75%, something that Harry Smith has managed to do at Wigan which proves it is possible having gone from 62.5% (87 from 139) to 73% (11 from 15).

They also have to assign a designated number two who takes the role whilst Litten is off the field. Chopping and changing between Batchelor and Lewis affects continuity and ritual which is one of the hallmarks of being a kicker.

In a sense, it’s a nice problem to have to be unable to convert tries as opposed to being unable to score them, but that will be of no solace to Willie Peters should kicking cost them another game as it did against Warrington Wolves.

The Robins now face London Broncos before a Challenge Cup Final rematch against Leigh Leopards, a game that certainly could be decided by the boot.