Willie Peters sets about his fourth season with Hull KR in 2026, having led them to the very top in 2025, a journey with lots of twists and turns.
The Australian was confirmed as the Robins head coach in May 2022, set to start ahead of the 2023 season, with some good foundations set at the club from those higher up, whilst on-field had also seen them reach a Super League semi-final in 2021 under Tony Smith.
At that point, it’s fair to say Hull KR were in the very early stages of turning their fortunes around but not even the most hardcore Hull KR fans would have imagined where they might end up in their first three years under a rookie head coach from down under.
First impressions probably weren’t great either as Hull KR lost their first game under Willie Peters – a 28-0 defeat in pre-season against Featherstone Rovers for Craig Hall’s testimonial, however, Peters quickly changed perceptions with a 27-18 win over Wigan Warriors in the Super League season opener as club captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall scored a hat-trick at Craven Park.
From that 28-0 loss to Featherstone Rovers in game one, it was just under 1,000 days before Hull KR completed their famous treble. We’ve picked out four key turning points during those 995 days that explain how Willie Peters went from a 28-0 debut loss to the club’s historic 2025 treble.
Know your Super League? Serious About Rugby League have a Fantasy Super League comp. Join it now and compete against our writers. PIN: 12433 Password: SARL2026
Milestone moments that led to Hull KR treble
2023 Challenge Cup journey
Despite ultimately losing the 2023 Challenge Cup Final in heartbreaking circumstances, as Lachlan Lam slotted a match-winning drop goal in golden point, the cup competition gave Hull KR two key things.
They’d progress to the semi-finals with ease, beating Batley 50-0 and Salford 28-10 but next up came Wigan Warriors, the defending champions, at Headingley. Hull KR managed to edge that game 11-10 in golden point with Brad Schneider kicking his second game-winning drop goal after doing so against Leeds just nine days earlier.
Whilst Wembley would go the opposite way, the 2023 Cup run showed Hull KR that they had what it takes to beat a big team in a big game, whilst the final defeat fuelled the fire and ultimately helped lead to the second turning point.
Aggressive 2024 recruitment
Having lost that Challlenge Cup in devastating fashion, Hull KR saw their season end in embarrassing fashion as Wigan Warriors hammered them in the Super League semi-finals, running out 42-12 winners after racing into an early 18-0 lead.
There was no hiding away from it but Hull KR got blitzed and it put a sour end on what had been a successful first season under Willie Peters, a season where performances had shown enough for the club to back Peters and go big on their recruitment.
The Robins moved for some key players with Peta Hiku, Tyrone May, Jai Whitbread and Joe Burgess among those signed that would then play in their 2025 Grand Final win. They also added players like Niall Evalds to replace Lachlan Coote with Kelepi Tanginoa also added.
It was arguably the most aggressive recruitment of 2024 and the majority of signings were smash hits, some even going on to play crucial roles in 2025.
Adding experience in 2025
Whilst that 2024 recruitment was good, it had missed something and Hull KR were smart enough to realise what that was, with their first 2025 recruit actually being announced in February of 2024.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was announced as a Hull KR signing that February with the legendary Kiwi set to arrive the following season, bringing a wealth of experience but more importantly, a winning mentality. They’d then add Micky McIlorum, another man with experience and winning mentality in boatloads.
Whilst both signings were made before their Grand Final loss, that defeat at Old Trafford in 2025 further cemented the fact the club needed people who had won in those huge matches. After such an aggressive 2024 recruitment cycle, 2025 was more refined and targeted.
They added experience in JWH and McIlorum, replaced Ryan Hall with Tom Davies, and added Leeds Rhinos’ Player of the Year Rhyse Martin among other signings. They were all recruits who turned the needle and ultimately led to their 2025 success.
Last gasp Challenge Cup win
That success may not have come at all if not for Tom Davies’ 78th minute try in the Challenge Cup Final against Warrington Wolves. In an alternate world, that ball isn’t grounded by the Hull KR winger and the Robins lose the Challenge Cup Final, but would that be all?
Winning at Wembley, in spite of such a poor performance and in such ugly fashion, spurred this Hull KR side on to chase something great. They got a 40-year-old monkey off their back and genuinely started to believe that they were winners.
WEMBLEY DRAMA 🤯
Tom Davies’ try in the corner is given to put Hull KR back in the final!#BBCRL #ChallengeCup pic.twitter.com/akYBZz4r3R
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 7, 2025
Losing that final arguably could have sent the club into a devastating spiral, at which point this very article may not be getting written as Hull KR may not have gone on to win the League Leaders Shield or Grand Final.
The reason it did happen though, because Hull KR had replaced their experience of Ryan Hall with two other veterans and and elite winger in Tom Davies. The reason that had happened, because they’d fallen short in 2024 despite aggressive recruitment. The reason they’d recruited aggressively in 2024, because they’d defeated come so close in 2023 and knew that they had what it takes to beat sides like Wigan in big games.
Willie Peters took Hull KR from a 28-0 loss to a Championship club on his debut game to treble winners in 995 days but ultimately, the hard work starts now as they look to defend all three trophies. Perhaps, they’ll even add a fourth with the World Club Challenge just over a week away.
Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here.
