Hull KR CEO charts club’s incredible rise and makes bold pledge to Robins fans

Paul Lakin cannot help but raise a smile when he is reminded that this Friday marks four years to the day since his return to Hull KR. “That’s quite fitting actually, isn’t it,” he says ahead of the club’s biggest game in a generation.

Lakin has not scored a single point or kicked a single ball for Hull KR in those four years since coming back as CEO of the Robins: but to suggest he has not played an important role in their transformation into one of Super League’s biggest sides would be doing him a major disservice.

Lakin knows this club well: it was one of the reasons why he decided to come back to Craven Park for a second stint. 20 years ago, he was drafted in as the club’s commercial manager just as they were about to take off under the guidance of Justin Morgan. Six months later, he became CEO and stayed until 2008, before leaving to join Wolves and, later, Stoke City.

That time was a golden period for Rovers in the modern era – but it has paled into significance given what has happened in East Hull lately. But even now, as the Robins prepare to walk out in a Grand Final for the first time are are selling out Craven Park on a weekly basis, Lakin’s mind often drafts back to what he walked into in late-2020.

“A huge job, bigger than I ever thought possible,” he tells Love Rugby League. “It was during Covid so the absolute priority was survival: as it was for every business in the country and in sport in particular. It was all about survival and what I learned quickly was off the field, you’re only as good as the people around you.”

READ NEXT: Super League Grand Final team news as Hull KR suffer injury blow ahead of Wigan Warriors clash

Lakin had one priority job early on after returning: convincing owner and long-time friend Neil Hudgell not to sell the club and to instead back Rovers to have one last crack at making it big under his guidance.

But despite inheriting a bleak financial outlook in the midst of a pandemic, a stadium with a plethora of issues and a squad some distance off the pace having just finished bottom of Super League, did he ever think the club could turn things around to this extent?

“If I’m honest, yes,” he insists.

“Because I was fortunate having been here before. I had a running start in that I knew the club, I think I understand the fanbase and most importantly, the owner. I knew what the possibilities were.

“I came back hugely excited about it all. Neil wanted to sell, but I wanted to change his opinion and thankfully, I managed to do that. We’ve faced some challenges but the buy-in from everyone has been amazing.

“The fanbase is obviously at the top of that list. I’m delighted with how things have gone. In my mind I did wonder if we could do it in three years – I was wrong there! But we’ve done plenty of good things in four, haven’t we?”

GF PREVIEW: Ranking Super League’s 7 greatest sides with Wigan Warriors beaten to top spot by arch rivals

Rovers have enjoyed huge growth on and off the field in the four years Lakin has been in position. On it, they have risen to claim their highest league position since – you guessed it – 1985. One more victory on Saturday delivers the long-awaited piece of silverware a generation and more of Robins fans have craved.

But off it, they are also emerging as a force. Craven Park has been transformed with initiatives like Craven Streat, and the sold out signs have been a regular presence throughout 2024, with the highest average attendance for decades.

Despite that success though, a clear part of Lakin’s remit has been to ensure Rovers never lose touch with the one thing that matters to them as a club above everything else: their community.

“That’s what I’m single most proud of,” he insists.

“We’ve kept reminding every member of staff that we are here to represent our community. To really generate momnentum you have to have that bond between players and fans. The players really appreciate our support and the players are appreciated by the support. Momentum works both ways. We genuinely have a culture of one club, one team.

“Hull KR to this area is everything. People would genuinely miss a meal to buy a ticket. You have to repay that. And it’s growing; our fanbase is growing all the time. The passionate element of our fans has rubbed off on many others.

“That is the one thing that really means the most to us as a club. Giving the supporters something to believe in, and something to get behind. We’ve used that as a fuel for us to grow on and off the field.”

Part two of Love Rugby League’s exclusive interview with Lakin will be published on Friday. It covers matters on the field, Willie Peters, how the Robins had to become ‘ruthless’: and Lakin’s pledge to owner Neil Hudgell.

READ NEXT: Leeds Rhinos’ star-studded potential 2025 line-up after Jake Connor signing is seriously impressive