Three things Hull KR must do to beat Wigan Warriors and win first Super League Grand Final

Hull KR will go hunting for their first-ever Grand Final win on Saturday night but how can they defeat champions Wigan Warriors?

It’s a position that Hull KR have never found themselves in before but internally it’s not unexpected with the club holding high expectations and ambitions that they now have a chance to achieve.

Perhaps unlucky to place second in Super League given that the Round 25 game against Wigan Warriors swung on two sin bins, WIllie Peters’ side will be hoping to enact revenge and show that they truly are the best team in Super League.

That status as being among the best in Super League is a new one for Hull KR but in the past few seasons they have made a final and several semi-finals but this is undoubtedly the biggest game yet.

With captain Elliot Minchella returning after his two-game ban, we’ve looked at how Hull KR can upset the odds and win their first-ever Grand Final.

How Hull KR can beat Wigan Warriors

Stop Bevan French

It sounds so much more simple than it is but if you can lock down Bevan French then you go a long way to defeating Wigan. Of course, they still boast immense talent across the remainder of the 17-man squad, in particular in Jai Field, but French is the game-breaker.

His try against Hull KR in Round 25 looked like a cert to win the Try of the Season award but he one-upped himself on Saturday night when scoring another brilliant chip and chase try, highlighting how he can create something out of nothing. Whilst that is exactly why he is so hard to defend, it also highlights the importance of ensuring that shutting him down is an 80-minute job.

Keep 13 men on the field

The downfall of Hull KR in the most recent clash between these sides was the fact that they saw two men sent to the sin bin, conceding two tries during each period when they were down to 12 men. That proved to be the difference as the Robins lost 24-20, ultimately and eventually sacrificing the League Leaders Shield.

Whilst they must take strength from the fact they went toe-to-toe and actually were the better side for the majority of the match, they must also learn the lesson and ensure that they remain at full complement on Saturday night.

Control the kicking game

There were serious concerns about the Hull KR kicking game heading into 2024 with Jordan Abdull departing but Mikey Lewis has stepped up and become a brilliant in-play kicker, however, he will not have played on a pitch with such small in-goal areas before. His high bombs should go unaffected but any grubber kicks run the risk of a seven-tackle set for the opponent and that must be controlled. They’ve even been preparing for those short in-goals by remarking the lines at Craven Park, as highlighted by X account The Robin Pod.

On the other hand, Wigan build so much of their success on the principle of doing the basics right and Harry Smith kicking well on the fifth tackle is one of those key elements of their game. Disrupting Smith’s kicking game and unnerving the England international will be high on the priority list of those effort-based players that Hull KR boast such as Dean Hadley, James Batchelor and Elliot Minchella.

Grand Final preparations well underway at Craven Park.

Crazy how small the in goal areas are at Old Trafford. pic.twitter.com/XaxGosEhC3

— The 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗱 (@Robin_Pod) October 9, 2024