Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has thrown his full support behind star playmaker Mikey Lewis ahead of their high-stakes play-off clash against Warrington Wolves, insisting the halfback is in a ‘better place’ following his disciplinary troubles this season.
The England international’s campaign against Sam Burgess’ side has been fraught with controversy.
Lewis was hit with a four-match suspension following their initial encounter with Warrington, before receiving an additional two-game ban after a separate incident in their second meeting against the Wire.
However, after serving those suspensions and being handed the captain’s armband for last week’s Round 27 fixture against St Helens, Peters believes the 25-year-old is primed for a huge postseason run.
‘There’s a spring in his step’
Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Peters highlighted the positive impact that taking on the captaincy role had on the halfback’s mindset ahead of the play-off eliminator.
“You can see a spring in his step,” Peters told BBC Radio Humberside. “It was the best thing for him.”
“He understands that he can’t cross the line,
“Mikey plays the game in a certain way, and you don’t want to change too much of that, but we want him on the field.
“That’s basically to say, ‘mate, we need you on the field, and you’re so important to us’.”
With Hull KR travelling to the Halliwell Jones Stadium for the first round of the play-offs, Peters confirmed Lewis will be central to the Robins’ game plan as they look to reach the semi-finals.
“As I said, he’s going to be in our best team, which is this weekend,” Peters added.
“He did a great job last week of leading the younger players around, and his energy has been great, and there’s a spring in his step,
“That’s the main thing, [that] he’s working on himself, which I’m proud of, and he’s in a better place than what he was, that’s for sure.”
Hull KR will kick off their play-off campaign on the road against Warrington on Saturday, September 19.
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