Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has spoken about the changes his side will make from last year’s Grand Final ahead of Saturday’s return to Old Trafford, where the Robins will face the same opponents as in 2024.
For the second year in a row it’s a Wigan Warriors and Hull KR Grand Final with Super League’s top two teams going head to head, albeit this year, it’s the Robins who have finished top of the pile.
They also won the Challenge Cup meaning they’re going for a historic treble, whilst Wigan are going for a treble of their own – a third consecutive Super League crown.
Hull KR fell short in their maiden Grand Final last year as Wigan won 9-2 with Bevan French’s score the only try of the game and whilst there may be some on-field changes, Willie Peters has spoken about what the club will do differently in their approach to the match.
Speaking after securing a spot in the Grand Final by beating St Helens, Peters admitted: “There’s a few little things that we’re doing differently. We’re going to go to the ground the day before, which we didn’t do last year.
“There were some senior players who didn’t want to do that but we did it this year at Wembley and I think it’s the right thing to do.”
What will Hull KR do differently at the 2025 Grand Final?
As well as the fact the players will attend Old Trafford on Friday, there are also changes that Peters will encourage within his squad and ones that his squad will surely be much more accustomed to given their greater experience now.
Peters said: “There’s just little things around last year. Some players, and staff, were overly excited on game day with photos and all that sort of stuff because we hadn’t been there before.
“That was my learning, how do we take that away? Let’s still enjoy the moment and the experience but at the right time and the right time is mainly after you win but I think you can do that the day before and get a feel for the place.”
With Hull KR being new to Old Trafford last year, perhaps that excitement was expected, whereas it won’t be a new experience this year and that could help them massively on the big stage.
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Hull KR’s kicking conundrum discussed
Another key point that Peters discussed is who will kick from the tee in the Grand Final with last year’s final and this past weekend’s Championship Grand Final proving points are at a premium, and kicks from the tee are vital.
“No, not if you ask me now,” responded Peters when asked if he knows who will kick out of Arthur Mourgue and Rhyse Martin.
The Robins started Saturday’s semi-final with Mourgue on kicking duties as Martin was on the bench and whilst the Frenchman kicked two from three, he forfeited duties to Martin who then uncharacteristically went zero from three.
Peters explained: “Arthur usually starts and he was kicking really well and then in the box we were talking around whether we just give it to Arthur, but then they end up making that decision for us.
“Arthur kicked and then it went back to Rhyse, which I was comfortable with. We’ll probably have a similar approach but let’s have a look during the week.
“I back both kickers so at the end of the day, I don’t mind.”
Asked further about Martin, who has been one of the best kickers in Super League in recent years, Peters put full confidence in the Papua New Guinean.
He admitted: “Rhyse didn’t have his boots on tonight but he definitely does most of the time.
“They’re two 80% plus kickers. He’ll have his bad days and today is hopefully a bad day and then he’ll fix it but I back him because it’s Rhyse Martin and we all know how good a goal kicker he is.”
