Hull KR will play their second and final pre-season game this weekend when they travel to Headingley to face Leeds Rhinos and Willie Peters has revealed the injury issues facing the team.
Having narrowly lost to Sheffield Eagles when fielding a very young team last weekend the Robins face Super League opposition with Peters expecting to name far more senior players than the handful he did last week.
Despite that, he’s confirmed that new signing Kelepi Tanginoa won’t feature with the former Wakefield Trinity man nursing a strain.
Peters explained: “Kelepi won’t play this weekend, but Kelepi will be on track for round one. So, he’s just had some issues with hamstrings in the past. He’s had a slight strain, but we definitely don’t want to be taking any risk with Kelepi. We’re working towards round one.”
The Australian also provided positive updates on both Jez Litten and Jesse Sue with the pair expected to run out at Headingley for one stint each, Litten likely starting the second half and Sue potentially spelling on after 20 minutes.
Both Litten and Sue had been injury concerns but they look to have overcome issues, although Peters is still wary of antagonising any problem, particularly for Sue who missed 16 weeks last season.
Asked about the prop forward, Peters answered: “He’ll only play one stint. We don’t want to sort of get him on and off and then cool him down and then put him back on again.
“At this stage, it will be a decent stint before half-time, and then after half-time, more than likely that’ll be it for him.”
The plan to play Litten in the second half could change depending on the availability of Matt Parcell whose wife is expecting, Peters noted: “If he (Litten) could play unlimited minutes then we’d start him. Matt’s (Parcell) obviously expecting and waiting for his first child to be born. So that could happen at any moment.
“That’s the most important thing in his life and a massive occasion. So it might be unlikely that he’ll play, but then we’ve also got Reiss Butterworth, who I thought played well last week, who can definitely do a job and will do a job for us this weekend.”
Injured Hull KR forward sees return date pushed back
Injured Hull KR forward Sam Luckley celebrating the club’s Challenge Cup semi-final win over Wigan Warriors. Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com Copyright: x xSWpix.comxt/axPhotographyxHubxLtdxOllyxHassell/SWpix.comx SWP-2150-0028
Last week Willie Peters confirmed that Sam Luckley would be unavailable for the Super League opener against Hull FC with the Geordie forward in line for a return to action in round two.
Speaking today he’s confirmed that the timeline may have moved back a week with plenty still to do before the Hull KR forward can return.
Luckley played the joint-most games of any KR player last season underlining his importance, however, he’ll miss at least the first two rounds with Peters explaining: “At this stage, I’m looking at round two and hopefully round two, but it could be round three.
“He’s going through everything at the moment that he needs to, and then you never know until you sort of build up his running and volume and that type of thing and then you get a better indication there.”
It will be a blow for Rovers but they have recruited well among their forward pack this off-season, whilst Peters also reported on the impressive performance of a young prop last week.
On who will be selected against Leeds Rhinos, he said: “I thought Zach Fishwick and Leo Tennison especially, I thought Leo was very strong. So they’ll be rewarded, they gave us a lot of energy those two. We were behind when they came on and when they went off were in front. So they certainly did their part.”
Prop forward Fishwick made several appearances to close out the 2022 season but he wasn’t in the frame as much in 2023 and will hope to capitalise on this opportunity,
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