Hull KR have earned the right to feel confident as they prepare to get their play-off campaign underway this evening. That’s the message from Mikey Lewis, who will be determined to lead his side to their first ever Super League Grand Final this month.
To reach Old Trafford, the Robins need to overcome the challenge of Warrington Wolves at Craven Park and of course, that is much easier said than done. KR have won 10 of their last 11 games in Super League, with a narrow loss at Wigan Warriors being their only slip up.
Sam Burgess’ side will arrive in east Hull on the back of a rousing golden point win over St Helens in the first round of the play-offs last Saturday, though. And, having beaten the Robins twice earlier on in the season, they won’t be short of reasons for encouragement.
However, Rovers are the form team with their aforementioned run of form stretching back to mid-July. As such, fresh from a week off, they’ll be bouncing into this fixture and Lewis has lifted the lid on the feeling inside camp.
“We’re just confident because we’ve worked hard for this,” Lewis told Serious About RL at a Super League media event when asked about the mood inside the KR dressing room. “It’s not like it’s been given to us, we’ve worked hard and it’s all about actions.
“We say a lot throughout the week but the last message is always about going out there and perform and putt the match plan into place. That’s what we’ve done this year and we’ve still got a couple more games to, we’re ready to go.”
In the build-up to tonight’s fixture, Lewis has been named as one of three shortlisted contenders in the running for the 2024 Man of Steel award, with Marc Sneyd and Matt Dufty also up for the award. That comes on the back of being awarded a spot in the Super League Dream Team, which goes to sum up what a remarkable season it’s been for the 23-year-old.
“It’s been a good year for me,” the Hull KR man added prior to his Man of Steel nomination. “I feel like it’s been my best ever year as a professional and I’m still only young so hopefully I can keep building every year. I know there’s going to be bumps in the road but I’ve got to ride them and keep working hard.”