Willie Peters addresses key Hull KR problem

Hull KR started their season in near-perfect fashion with a 22-0 victory over their cross-city rivals but one major issue to arise from the game was the Robins’ clear lack of an established goalkicker.

Rovers headed into the 2023 season with Lachlan Coote as their established kicker but following a nasty HIA that forced the former Saint into retirement the job has bounced around.

Mikey Lewis has taken the mantle at times and there was a solution when Brad Schneider arrived from Canberra Raiders, but the Australian’s departure once again left a void in the role.

Hull KR held kicking trials during pre-season and new signing Peta Hiku came out on top but the Kiwi international hit just one from five on opening night, including a horrible slice from in front of the posts.

James Batchelor took the job for the final conversion attempt and fared no better which has stirred up worry among fans with the Robins missing out on ten points.

In closer games that will certainly be an issue, but Willie Peters has backed his full-back Hiku to get it right.

“We know it’s not the finished product” – Hull KR head coach addresses kicking problems

It wasn’t the dream debut for Hiku given his misfiring boot but Hull KR easily managed to get the win which Willie Peters noted when he spoke on Hiku’s troubles and the barrage of online trolling he had received.

Peters told the press: “Fortunately it didn’t affect the result. But I’ve said before the season we know we’re going into the season without a goalkicker that’s kicked year in and year out.

“What we’re trying to do is we’re trying to work on that the best we can and we’re doing that. We’ve done that in the pre-season, we’re doing that now.2

During the off-season the club had brought in Joe Ford as a kicking coach and per Peters previously it was a very closely-contested battle to decide on Hiku as the club’s kicker.

Peters has explained the methods in which Hull KR have trained to try and improve their kicking crisis.

“Naturally kicking in games is totally different to training. We’ve put players in all sorts of scenarios, we’ve kicked in all conditions, they’ve kicked under fatigue, we’re doing things away from that, so there’s a lot going into what we’re trying to do to improve that space. But we know it’s not the finished product,” assessed Peters.

He continued: “We need to work out who kicks, we had competitions in pre-season and Peta got the better but we need to see who wants to step up and kick. As a coach, I know where there’s a gap in terms of where we’re at at the moment, but I also know the effort and the work going into closing that.”

Despite his misfiring boot, the Australian Peters was full of praise for what Hiku has brought to the club since his arrival from North Queensland Cowboys, whilst maintaining that the club will continue to work on it.

“All I’ll be focusing on at the moment is what Peta does for us around the place and what he’ll do for us on the field. He’s going to be a really, really important part to what we do going forward. Goal-kicking for me, we’re working on it and we’ll just keep doing that,” Peters concluded.

Rovers return to Craven Park on Thursday night when they face Leeds Rhinos with all the details about kick-off time, TV Channels and team news available to read about here.