Hull KR head coach Willie Peters explained that the Robins took inspiration from Wigan Warriors’ dominant defence in their Challenge Cup semi-final win over St Helens, with Rovers seeing off Warrington Wolves in a similarly dominant fashion to set up a mouthwatering match-up at Wembley.
Whilst Wigan managed to keep St Helens to nil, Hull KR shipped 12 points as they won 32-12 but Peters admitted that Wigan’s performance had hammered in the message that defence wins the big games.
Speaking post-match on the BBC, Peters was asked if Wigan’s win had offered any inspiration, with the Australian admitting: “We spoke about Wigan’s performance before the game and it was around their defence because defence wins big games, simple as that.
“You look at St Helens, what they did early on to Wigan in that first half, Wigan just kept them away, kept it away, and then, once they had an opportunity to score points, they did. All big games are won on defence.”
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Hull KR boss hails patience after Challenge Cup win
Peters spoke about the Hull KR defence when assessing the performance, whilst also praising Warrington’s, assessing: “I thought we did a lot of work in that first half, but Warrington scrambled really well.
“They saved a couple of tries just before half-time, so they would have gone in at half-time full of confidence, even though we were eight up in front, so we had to build it again in that second half, and I liked the patience that we showed.
“I thought we dominated that first half, there was a kick that they scored off, but other than that, I thought we dominated.”
He also explained why his side were not worried about their 14-0 lead being slashed to 14-6 before the half, stating: “If we went in at half-time and got worried about just being eight points in front, then they’d have come at us hard and we’d have probably tried to defend instead of attack that lead, so that’s what I like. I liked how we attacked that second half.”
Hailing the fans who took up the majority of the 12,000-plus fans in attendance at the Eco-Power Stadium, Peters said: “There’s a proper connection. We’re a community-based club, what we do is for these people and it works hand-in-hand. There’s a lot of love, you can see it, you can feel it, and the players thrive off it, but we’re not going to get carried away. It’s great. We’re going to Wembley but we’re going to do a job.”
Progressing to Wembley now means Hull KR will face the Robins in Super League a week before the Challenge Cup Final, with that league game sure to be an interesting one in respect to team selection.
On facing Wigan, the Australian said: “There’s a lot of respect for each other, both clubs, but at the end of the day, we want to win, they want to win. We’ve both just got to try and find a way.”
Your 2026 @Betfred #ChallengeCup Final is confirmed 🔒@WiganWarriorsRL will meet @HullKROfficial under the arch in three weeks time 🏟️
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— Betfred Challenge Cup (@TheChallengeCup) May 10, 2026
