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Hull KR head coach Willie Peters praised the way his side bounced back from last week’s painful defeat to Catalans Dragons as they beat rivals Hull FC 24-10 to move joint second in the Betfred Super League table.
Rovers clinched the points on the back of a three-try burst in the opening 20 minutes, before a stirring revival by the home side left the game in the balance until Elliot Minchella’s effort sealed victory late on.
Peters said: “One of the things we spoke about was our poor start last week and I’m really happy with the way we responded early, and that set us up to get the result at the back end.
“When they scored their last try it was game on but we handled that last 15-to-20-minute period well defensively.”
Peters reserved particular praise for his captain Minchella, who fought a running battle with Hull front-rower Brad Fash which led to both being sent to the sin bin on the stroke of half-time.
“Mini is a key player for us – he’s our captain and a leader and he’s passionate, and that rubs off on the rest of the team,” added Peters.
“It was good to see him get that try and it’s always good to get another win against FC. They’ve had some changes to their roster but it’s a good feeling for the players and fans.”
One negative aspect for Peters was a groin injury sustained by Niall Evalds which forced the full-back off after 20 minutes, with the KR chief indicating he is unlikely to recover in time for the trip to Leeds next Saturday.
Tries from Lewis Martin and Logan Moy in two minutes just before the hour mark had threatened to lift the home side back into contention but FC’s interim head coach Simon Grix bemoaned the dismal start that cost them dear.
“I thought our defence was nothing short of pathetic at the beginning,” admitted Grix.
“We missed the start and 18-0 was a long way back. I’m proud of their effort – they did keep turning up and trying – but we’re not good enough to turn up on a Saturday and dip in and out of a plan we’ve worked on all week.
“Until the players decide to get disciplined we’ll have a few more of them. We need to be braver and smarter. I don’t think we’re brave often enough.”
One bright spot for Grix was the continued development of young players like tryscorer Moy and Davy Litten, whom he believes are beginning to make an impression after being fast-tracked into the top-flight.
“I think they’re starting to look like Super League players, not like little boys any more,” added Grix. “They’re getting opportunities that we perhaps hadn’t planned and they’re getting the exposure which will do them good. It is all good but it is still very painful at the same time.”
