Mikey Lewis relives Grand Final heartache and gives verdict on Hull KR v Wigan Warriors clash

Ahead of tonight’s clash against Wigan Warriors, Hull KR star Mikey Lewis has had his say whilst also reliving last year’s Grand Final heartache.

The Robins made it to their first ever Super League Grand Final in 2024 but they fell short against a Wigan Warriors side who completed the treble, with Bevan French scoring the only try as Matt Peet’s side defeated Hull KR 9-2.

That try came in the first half and saw Lewis exposed defensively by his counterpart French and speaking to Sky Sports this week, the Hull KR man has relived that moment and looked back on the footage ahead of tonight’s match with Wigan Warriors.

“It hurts a lot,” Lewis admitted as he rewatched the footage, even confirming that try is the only element of the game that he has rewatched.

“Giving that time and space to Bevan is something you can’t do. If you look at my body angle, I’m on the 45, and my inside shoulder is very vulnerable, and when he showed it, I’ve gone to tackle.

“You can’t give that time and space to Bevan because that’s what he does, and he does it in them big games.”

Hull KR ‘deserve’ Super League position as attention turns to Wigan Warriors

French certainly did do it in big games last year, earning Man of the Match in each of the World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup and Grand Final, so stopping him, if he plays, will be paramount for Hull KR.

Lewis explained it was discussed in pre-season what Hull KR ‘wanted to better’ and what they ‘didn’t do so well’, adding that it simply wasn’t to be at Old Trafford but that they’re prepared for Wigan Warriors or any other challengers this year.

He argued: “I feel like we took a massive forward step this year. It wasn’t meant to be on the night. I feel like if we do get there this year, we’ll be fully prepared to go and obviously try and lift that trophy.”

One major difference in the 2025 campaign is that Hull KR are no longer the hunter and Wigan Warriors no longer the hunted, with the Robins boasting a four point advantage in Super League, that they could extend to six with a win tonight.

On that dynamic, Lewis said: “It’s a weird one, but it’s not because the hard work we’ve put in, we deserve to be where we are.

“I couldn’t be in a better group, to be honest. We all work hard. Every day, we give everything in training to make sure we’re best prepared for the weekend.”

Mikey Lewis embracing away environment against Wigan

He also holds no fears of heading to the Brick Community Stadium, even claiming that it’s somewhere he enjoys playing. Friday night will see over 3,000 Hull KR supporters descend on Wigan Warriors’ home, meaning it may be even more favourable for Lewis and the Robins.

“Going to Wigan is a good place to go. I like playing at Wigan. It’s a good stadium to play at,” the Man of Steel explained.

“The atmosphere last year was unreal. It felt like a cup final. I feel like that’s how it’s going to be for the next six weeks.

“It’s going to be another blistering game. We’re going to be fully prepared to make sure we can get that win, and hopefully that’s one step closer to the League Leaders (Shield).”

Outlining that final motivation, Lewis said: “This is the only team we haven’t beaten this year, so we’ve got to go there full of confidence and ready to grind out a good win.

“We have got a point to prove for ourselves, really, to have that even more confidence that we can go on their home patch and get two points off them. It will help us if we’re going to meet them again this year. Why not?”