Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has had his say on the outside noise around the Robins and their stunted start to the 2026 season.
A loss on opening night to promoted club York Knights came as a major shock but Hull KR hit back in fashion as they claimed the World Club Challenge, defeating Brisbane Broncos at the MKM Stadium.
What followed was perhaps more shocking as Leeds Rhinos blitzed them in Las Vegas and despite two comfortable away wins over Huddersfield Giants, the Robins fell to a third Super League loss on the road to Catalans last week.
There’s been plenty of noise externally about Hull KR’s slow start and if they can bounce back in order to defend their Super League crown, with Willie Peters even asked about the players’ ‘intensity’ when speaking to the media.
Responding, he said: “People are going to have their opinions. Obviously, winning all four trophies, people are going to have opinions on where we’re at and what we’re doing.
“People said at the start of the year that we’re the hunted and that’s exactly what’s happening at the moment. We need to flip that.”
Willie Peters responds to ‘intensity’ question
For Peters, it’s not necessarily a case of a lack of intensity but instead a lack of moments being iced with the Robins coach correctly pointing out that the losses to York and Catalans have been marginal, the Knights winning by a point and the Dragons scoring a last minute try to win by six.
He assessed: “Are the players not as intense? Look, as I said, I just think there’s areas in the game, there’s times in the game and moments in the game that we’re not winning. Small margins. If we get that right, then we may find ourselves in a different position on the scoreboard at the end of the game but if we keep doing what we’re doing at the moment, then we’ll find it difficult each week.
“For me, the intensity is not negotiable. The way we play, our brand and our style, it should be an intense style and it should be a team that’s competing on every play and it should be a team that’s out to make their community proud. That’s what we’re about.”
Luke Robinson sacked, Hull KR struggling and why it could actually be Warrington Wolves’ year? – click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
Hull KR adapting to being the hunted
Reiterating his previous point about being the hunted, Peters admitted that it was ‘new territory’ for Hull KR though he noted that criticism came during and even after the treble, therefore it was certain to elevate now they’ve lost a handful of games.
He explained: “Last year we won all four trophies, but along the way we were criticised and people wrote us off all season and some still do after you win four trophies.
“That’s when you’re winning. Naturally, when you’re losing, then people are going to have stronger opinions and that’s fine. That’s all part of rugby league.”
Offering perspective, Peters said: “I’m not getting carried away. As I said, aside from that Leeds game, which we’ve already spoken about, we’ve put ourselves in positions to win the games and obviously won the World Club Challenge, won two games away against Huddersfield.
“I’m not going to let the outside noise tell us that we’re way off but we’ll know more about ourselves in three, four weeks’ time.”
