Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has suggested the club will approach the 2025 Challenge Cup Final differently to 2023, despite insisting that he holds no regrets over the club’s decisions in the build-up two years ago.
The Robins will take on Warrington Wolves at Wembley on June 7th, just under two years shy of their brutal golden point defeat against Leigh Leopards in the 2023 Challenge Cup Final.
Hull KR will take on Warrington on Friday night in Super League as the Wembley rivals feel each other out just over a fortnight before the big game and that’s understandably seen questions raised over team selection and tactics.
Willie Peters opted to rest Peta Hiku and Sauaso Sue against Huddersfield this past weekend and the Robins’ boss was asked if he has plans to rest players in either Friday’s clash with Warrington, or next Friday’s against St Helens.
In response to that, Peters stated: “We want to be in a strong position going into Wembley and the only way to do that is by performing well and getting results.
“I think the evidence from the last two years, shows the teams that have rested haven’t won so I think momentum is really important going in.”
Hull KR without regrets over Challenge Cup rest in 2023
Hull KR were the team who rested players in 2023 with Willie Peters fielding a very young side against Wigan Warriors the week before their trip to Wembley, whilst Warrington did the same last year when they faced Wigan in Super League and the Challenge Cup Final in back to back weeks.
Whilst Peters conceded that they “might look at it possibly” in reference to resting players if he believes they need it, he confirmed that “the answer is no” in regards to rotating his side.
Having done it in 2023, it marks a change in philosophy but Peters claimed he holds no regrets over that decision and insists that it had no effect on what happened under the Wembley arches anyway.
The Australian explained: “I don’t have any regrets around that. It was actually a club decision to do that. It was the first time for a while that we’d been in a major final but like anything you do, you learn.
“We didn’t win that game because of moments in that game. There were key moments in that game. If we nailed those moments, we’re not talking around anything about the week before.
“Certainly if the scoreline blew out at it was a different game to what we’re usually capable of, then you need to look at everything, which we did and we do, but I don’t think it had too much impact on the actual game.”
Willie Peters previews Warrington Wolves
Before Hull KR’s team selection for Wembley comes into consideration there are two Super League games with Friday’s coming against Sam Burgess’ Warrington and Peters insisted that’s the most important one as it stands.
He explained: “We’re just treating Warrington as our next fixture and it’s the most important one. Two weeks time, it’s going to be a different looking Warrington team. George will be back, they’ll have other players back but we know who’s there this week and we’re there to do our job.
“We’ll worry about a couple of weeks time or three weeks time, whenever it is then, because we’ve got a game in between that against St Helens who’s another very good team.”
He also made the argument that any comparisons of Friday’s game at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and the clash at June 7th at the national stadium are completely different, something which impacts mindset.
Peters argued: “They’re two different games because we’re playing away at Warrington this week and then we’ve got a home game against St Helens and then we play at Wembley. So that brings a lot of different mindset.
“Both teams will be well and truly up for that but I’m a believer in focusing on the next job and for us, Friday is the most important.”
The stage is set 🏆
We will face Warrington Wolves in @TheChallengeCup Final 👊#UpTheRobins🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/TXIWuwzVCd
— Hull KR (@hullkrofficial) May 11, 2025
