Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has issued a rallying cry ahead of what could be his last game in charge of the club, with the Australian speaking before the play-off eliminator against Warrington Wolves.
Rovers have played Warrington three times this year, losing twice in Super League but winning in the Challenge Cup clash, adding to their strong record of defeating Wire in knockout games recently, having done so in the Challenge Cup Final and the play-offs last year.
Of course, this game will be played at the Halliwell Jones Stadium due to KR finishing sixth on the ladder but Peters was eager to remind his players that they need only lead for one minute, as they did in that 2025 Challenge Cup.
Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside about the game and what he hopes to see, he explained: “It’s semi-final footy, so you don’t need to score in that first minute or feel you need to score in that first minute.
“Ideally, it’d be nicer if we did, but it’s about building the game and making sure we’re there in the back end because we were thereabouts for 60 minutes here [Craven Park in rearranged game], but some poor discipline and inside shoulders, that’s what cost us.”
Put to him that they need only lead for a matter of seconds, as was the case after Tom Davies’ 79th minute try at Wembley in 2025, Peters asserted: “Exactly right. And that’s the mentality that we want to have.”
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Hull KR ‘weren’t in the best of places a few weeks ago’, admits Peters
Both Hull KR and Warrington will be well-rested heading into the game, with Rovers making 15 changes to the 21-man squad named for last week, whilst the Wolves made 12 of their own.
As such, Peters doesn’t see it as an advantage, though he maintained that it was the correct thing to do: “Warrington’s rested as well. They rest their players as well and we have. You’re going to see two teams that are energised and whoever wants it more is going to win.
“I certainly know that it was the best decision, I believe, to rest the players because four weeks ago, three weeks ago, we weren’t in a great place and whether people wanted to hear that or not, I’ll always give honest feedback to the fans of where we’re at and I’ll always answer a question.
“We weren’t in the best of places a few weeks ago due to injuries and just where a few players were at because they played every week. There’s no excuse for that now because they have been rested and you can see that with the training and the energy and the communication around the place.”
Whilst a defeat would spell the end of Hull KR’s season, it would also spell the end of Peters’ tenure at the club, but he’s explained why he’s not even considered that.
“Yeah, not I’m thinking about that. What you put in your head is very powerful,” he said.
“We went to Old Trafford the other day and we did our press there and that’s where we want to be heading and that’s where we will head if we play the way we can. One game at a time, Warrington’s the most important, but it’s one that we’re looking forward to.”
The game will kick off at 5:30 pm on Saturday, live on both BBC and Sky Sports, with details on how to watch here.
