Hull KR coach discusses centre replacements as Peta Hiku ban accepted and addressed

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has talked through the options to replace the suspended Peta Hiku in the centres, with the Robins boss keeping his cards close to his chest.

Hiku will not feature this Saturday against his former club Warrington Wolves after the Hull KR man became the only Super League player to be suspended following round 18.

His Grade C charge took him beyond the threshold for the ban and Willie Peters confirmed that neither the club or player had any complaints, with the centre banned for the same offence that he was sin binned for in the loss to Wakefield.

“We’ve accepted it. Obviously, Peta has accepted it and learns from it and we move on,” Peters said at his presser on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, he’s not playing this week but we move on.”

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Who will play right centre for Hull KR?

As for how Hull KR move on, or more to the point how they replace Hiku, Peters named three possible options that are under consideration.

“There’s a few options,” he admitted, adding: “There’s Noah Booth that can play there, there’s Rhyse Martin that can play there, there’s Jack Broadbent that can play there. We’ve got some options there.”

Booth, a typical winger, has been limited to just five appearances for Hull KR in 2026 and it was Rhyse Martin who played in the centres when Oliver Gildart was ruled out, albeit on the opposite side to the void Hiku leaves.

Broadbent may have expected to feature plenty at centre in 2026 but injury issues for Arthur Mourgue, who it’s been confirmed will return this week, has led to Broadbent mainly playing at full-back.

Whoever takes up the role in the right centre position, Peters was clear that Hiku is a bis loss, noting: “He’s been great for us over a period of time now, but it gives someone else an opportunity to be able to step up.”

As for who will land the starting shirt, the Australian said: “We’ll just keep that to ourselves of who’s going to play there. I’ve got a feeling of who’s going to play there, but we’ll leave it at that.”