Hull KR fan favourite talks contract, England dreams and Wigan Warriors’ rivalry

Hull KR forward Dean Hadley has admitted that he’s unsure on his playing future beyond the end of his current contract, insisting that his focus is on the here and now, especially Wigan Warriors.

The Robins host Wigan tonight in a huge Super League clash that’s had plenty of punch taken out of it by the fact the Warriors have heavily rotated their squad in anticipation of the Challenge Cup Final against Hull KR at the end of the month.

If Hadley is named then he will play his 150th game for Hull KR, something he admitted to being unaware of when speaking to the media on Tuesday.

Hadley reacted: “It’s a nice milestone. It’s been a while from when I first started. The club’s in a better place on the field and off the field as well.”

The club are in a vastly different place from when the forward joined from Hull FC in 2019, with the 33-year-old one of just a handful of players to have been at the club throughout all of Willie Peters’ tenure.

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Hull KR star assesses future and Shaun Wane comments

Throughout the Willie Peters’ era, Hadley has been one of the standout performers and that saw him rewarded with a new contract last August, tying him to the club until the end of 2027, at which point he will be 35.

Asked about his plans beyond that, Hadley said: I don’t really know, to be fair. It’s not really something I’m thinking about. It’s all about enjoying what I do.

“I’m at the back end now, but for me, I still feel good. I still feel fit and healthy, and I’m still enjoying it. For me, I’ll carry on as long as I’m doing them things, we’ll see what happens.”

Hadley has again been a standout performer and his performances last year saw him earn shouts to be called up to the Ashes, though Shaun Wane didn’t agree as he questioned if the Hull KR man could ‘hack it’.

On those comments, Hadley surprisingly agreed: “To be honest, I kind of agreed in a way, because I suppose I’ve not been in that position where I have played on the international stage.

“There is a bit of an unknown there but like I say, all I can do is perform every week and in the big games, semi-finals, finals, you’ve got to perform.

“That’s all I’m focusing on and thinking about really, just performing in them big games. I love playing in the big games. I think as a player, it suits me well.”

Dean Hadley’s World Cup hopes

Hadley will be hoping that Wane’s replacement, Brian McDermott, views him as someone who can compete in the big games and when asked about the upcoming World Cup, Hadley spoke on his desire to represent his nation.

He said: “For me, I’d obviously love to play for England. That’s obviously the next step and I’d love to do that.

“The only thing I can control on that is by performing, playing well and keep making improvements to my game and little areas that I can be better at.”

With McDermott having already opened the door for Jake Connor, there could be some hope for changes to the squad and that may give Hadley a chance.

The forward assessed: “Every coach is different, and they have their own thoughts and ideas and how they want the game to be played and what they’re looking for from individuals.

“I guess it’s just seeing what he wants and seeing what type of players he wants.”

Looking ahead to Wigan and the rivalry that has emerged, Hadley admitted that it’s not a ‘traditional’ rivalry but one that he enjoys.

“Obviously we’ve been involved in a lot of big games in the last few years. That naturally creates a rivalry, if you like,” Hadley said.

“It’s been good. You want to be a part of these types of games and occasions. We’ve had some great games over the past few years. We’ve won a few and they’ve won a few. It’s going to be a big couple of weeks coming up against them.”