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Hull KR star hails Willie Peters influence and speaks on ‘hunger’ after Grand Final loss

One Hull KR star has hailed the importance of Willie Peters in their development as they commented after signing a new deal at the club.

Forward Dean Hadley was off-contract at the end of the 2025 season but Hull KR have moved quickly to tie down their workhorse to a one-year extension, keeping him at Craven Park until the end of the 2026 season.

The 2024 campaign was the best that Hull KR ever had in Super League history and it was certainly the best of Hadley’s career as he became one of the competition’s most fearsome tacklers and hardworking forwards.

Hull KR have tied down new deals for three of the cores to their pack with captain Elliot Minchella and second-rower James Batchelor also signing new deals previously.

As a club on the up, Hadley explained that there is no single thing that is responsible for their vast improvement during his time at the club – leaping from near the foot of the table to being among the very elite.

“I don’t think you can pinpoint it to one thing but when you put a number of things together that’s when you start making strides and I think we’ve done that,” Hadley explained on the club’s YouTube channel.

Hull KR star hails Willie Peters amidst ‘hungrier’ admission

Speaking further on the strides taken in recent years, he hailed the attitude of all at the club with the united goal of improving and ultimately lifting silverware helping to fuel on-field performances.

Hadley said: “Obviously, you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to have the right environment with everybody buying in and pulling in the same direction.

“I think we do that here and I think that’s proven on the pitch which is the biggest thing – showing it with what you do on the field.”

The Robins are set to enter their third season under Willie Peters, recording fourth and second-place finishes so far, with a Challenge Cup Final and Grand Final appearance as well.

“He’s been great,” Hadley said of the Australian.

“We’re into his third season so we’ve obviously made some real improvements and we keep getting closer. We had a disappointing last game last season but it just makes us hungrier,

“You can tell coming into pre-season that there is that hunger to achieve.”

As for his personal improvement that saw him rank third for most tackles in Super League and fifth for the most market tackles, Hadley hailed the pre-season efforts such as the current warm-weather training camp as being key.

He explained: “Every day, I want to be at my best and every day at training that’s what it is about – putting your groundwork in.

“I just want to keep improving, I want to be better than I was last season and play at the highest level.”

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