Hull KR booked their spot in the Challenge Cup final with a comfortable 36-12 win over Catalans Dragons in York.
Here’s our verdict.
Action
With a spot at Wembley Stadium on the line, a fast start was always going to be key and Rovers got just that, getting over the line with just seven minutes on the clock.
Kicking through the line, Mikey Lewis watched on as Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet misjudged the bounce of the ball and James Batchelor touched down. It was the start the Robins deserved, coming out the blocks quickly and taking the game to the Dragons, who seemed more interested in trying to rattle KR off the ball in the opening stages.
It took KR another seven minutes to get over the line again, with Batchelor scoring his second. However, it wasn’t without controversy with the Dragons having every right to feel hard done by.
After beating his man, Lewis appeared to surrender due to an obstruction on the play. Chris Kendall played on, though, and after the ball was dislodged Batchelor touched down. The grounding was checked and Matthieu Laguerre appeared to touch the ball down first, but the try was given.
Catalans hit back through Reimis Smith with a poor read from Peta Hiku opening up the space for him to exploit and the French side pulled themselves in front momentarily to strike panic into the army of travelling Rovers fans in York.
KR failed to deal with a Tommy Makinson kick inside and Luke Keary was the man to react quickest and touch down.
Rovers regathered themselves, though, with Mikey Lewis scoring his obligatory try after some fine work from Jai Whitbread to poke himself through the line.
Lewis kicked KR further ahead just after the break and that was before Jack Broadbent sent yet another reminder of his qualities by blowing the second half wide open. Bursting away off the shoulder of Jez Litten, the full-back powered through the hole behind the ruck and put KR 12 points to the good.
And, the flying full-back made sure of the result when he finished off a fine attacking move from that saw most of the team touch the ball before Broadbent finished.
With just over seven minutes remaining, Joe Burgess got his try to well and truly get the party started.
Star man
Jack Broadbent. A second half showing to remember for the full-back, scoring twice to kill the game off and send the Robins to Wembley.
Good day for
Hull KR fans. They’ll be heading to Wembley for the second time in three years next month and on this form, you’d have to be brave or foolish to bet against them breaking their 40-year trophy draught. A stadium record crowd of 8,402 packed into the LNER Community and 8,400 of them must have been from east Hull.
Bad day for
Catalans Dragons. An opportunity missed for the French side, who looked capable of upsetting the odds for much of the first half. They never came out with the same energy in the second half though and the game slipped away from them.
Bigger picture
Rovers are going to Wembley once again and whether they play Leigh Leopards or Warrington Wolves, you’d have to say KR will be the favourites. They’ll be backed in their thousands and the party will go on long into the night in east Hull.
Hull KR v Catalans Dragons teamsÂ
Hull KR: Jack Broadbent; Tom Davies, Peta Hiku, James Batchelor, Joe Burgess; Mikey Lewis, Tyrone May; Sauaso Sue, Jez Litten, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves; Dean Hadley, Jai Whitbread, Elliot Minchella.
Bench: Sam Luckley, Kelepi Tanginoa, Jack Brown, Bill Leyland.
Catalans Dragons: Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet; Tommy Makinson, Matthieu Laguerre, Reimis Smith, Nick Cotric; Luke Keary, Theo Fages; Tevita Pangai Jr, Alrix Da Costa, Julian Bousquet; Tariq Sims, Elliott Whitehead; Oliver Partington.
Bench: Paul Seguier, Chris Satae, Romain Navarrete, Bayley Sironen.
