Willie Peters labelled ‘ready’ for NRL as star player raves about Hull KR boss

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters is ‘ready’ for the NRL according to one of his former players, whilst a current player has also offered rave reviews.

Peters became the first Hull KR head coach to lead the club to silverware in 40 years when his side lifted the Challenge Cup at Wembley last weekend, writing his name into Robins’ history.

He had already led them to a first-ever Grand Final and a highest-ever Super League finish in 2024, with the club aiming to go on further this year as they seek both a League Leaders Shield and a Grand Final win.

Right now, they’re in the driving seat but their sole loss this season coming against 2024 champions Wigan still leaves question marks, but last Saturday showed they can play poorly and still lift trophies as a big monkey was lifted from their back.

One of the players who battled through injury in that game, something which highlights his commitment to Peters, was NRL legend Jared Waerea-Hargreaves with the Kiwi enforcer now speaking in the Australian media about Peters, even backing him for an NRL gig.

“It was a hell of an achievement for Willie and everyone at the club,” JWH explained to The Daily Telegraph.

JWH backs Willie Peters for NRL gig

On Peters, who took over at Hull KR ahead of the 2023 season and has taken the Robins from strength to strength, Waerea-Hargreaves admitted: “I can’t speak highly enough of him.”

He continued: “Pretty much since we first connected, I noticed his strength was his work ethic and how much he cares about his players.

“If he ever gets an opportunity in the NRL, which I think he should, he’ll be great.”

On what exactly makes Peters NRL-ready, the forward explained: “I’m talking about his core values and what Willie stands for. He’s a very intelligent man with a great league IQ.

“He’s obsessed with what he does and loves what he does. He’s worked his arse off and deserves all the recognition he’s now getting.”

Hull KR boss “ready” for the NRL, claims ex-Catalans star

Another man who has touted Peters for success Down Under is former Catalans playmaker Mitchell Pearce, who played at Newcastle when Peters was an assistant coach.

Pearce admitted: “He helped me a lot from an attacking point of view. He’s a man of integrity and his players trust him.

“To lift Hull KR from outside the top six to play in a grand final and win the Challenge Cup is quite an achievement.

“I think he’s smart in all areas of the game. I think the time is right now. He’s ready.”

Another hugely impressive facet of Peters’ coaching is just how he led his side to back up from their Challenge Cup success. It would have been understandable for performance levels to slip against Catalans on Friday night but Hull KR routed the Dragons.

Peters had warned that the planned Challenge Cup trophy parade around the pitch would have been ‘pretty sombre’ had Hull KR not stepped up, and his players answered that call with a resounding 68-6 win.