Hull KR head coach Willie Peters believes Mikey Lewis has matured off the field in preparation for a tough 2025 campaign.
Lewis had a standout 2024 season and aims to get better as he grows more into his stand-off role for Rovers and potentially England at the end of the season.
The 23-year-old has formed a partnership with fellow halfback Tyrone May and was one of the main reasons for Rovers’ successes last year.
Peters is excited to see Lewis step up yet again in 2025 and has a positive experience of coaching him.
Speaking to the media, he said: “I see a hungry player ready to go to that next level, that’s what I see.
“Like any player, any young person that gets success early, it can either get to you in a negative or positive way and I haven’t seen anything to look at the negatives.
“I’ve only seen a player that’s growing, he’s maturing off the field,” he added.
Those improvements are music to Peters’ ears as the reigning Man of Steel will now have more eyes on him.
He said: “I see a player that’s starting to understand why he’s doing things and how he can do things better.
“But he’s also a realist, he knows in rugby league it can change pretty quickly so you’ve got to keep working hard every day.
“You can’t get ahead of yourself in this game and he knows that,” he added.
Lewis has gained a bit of a reputation for being a little hot-headed while being an immensely talented player.
Peters wants his skillset, individuality and leadership to outshine his temperament in 2025, saying he’s chatted to him about it.
“Like anything, you can’t do anything outside the rules and you can’t go across the line, simple as that,” Peters said.
“If he’s around that line, that’s where the magic happens for those individual sorts of players that are different beasts compared to others because they are high achievers who want to be the best.”
Friday’s game was an extra special game for the club as the family of Hull KR legend and rugby league Hall of Famer Roger Millward were at the game.
The number six shirt was retired in 2016 following Millward’s death and Mikey Lewis will be the first player since then to wear the number.
Peters said:Â “We’ve got Roger Millward’s wife attending the game, Carol, who’s coming to watch Mikey wear the number six, so what a great honour for him, wearing that jersey.
“It’s a great honour for Mikey to be able to wear that jersey and obviously he’s gonna leave his own legacy.”
