Ranking Hull KR’s seven biggest transformational moments since 2020 as Rovers stand on brink of history

Aaron Bower 04 Oct 2024 7:35 AM

Ryan Hall, Paul Lakin, Willie Peters — Four of the most important moments - and men - in Hull KR's recent history?

It is hard to believe that it’s just four years since Hull KR finished bottom of Super League. Yet tonight, they stand on the brink of history: and a first-ever appearance in the Super League Grand Final.

Warrington Wolves stand in the way of Robins and a maiden Old Trafford finale, and over the course of the four years Rovers have gone from one of Super League’s worst sides to one of the benchmarks in a number of areas.

It’s been a long and arduous journey to this stage – but there have been some key moments along the way. Here are, in our minds anyway, the seven most important and standout moments which have brought Rovers to the edge of glory.

7. The unforgettable 2021 play-off triumph at Warrington

Of course, the two sides that meet at Craven Park on Friday night have a certain degree of history in the Super League play-offs.

Three years ago, the Robins travelled to Warrington as huge underdogs, not least because they had a massive and significant injury list that evening. But led by a Mikey Lewis – more on him shortly – masterclass, Rovers defied the odds to win 19-0.

And while they’d lose the following week in Catalans, it was a night and a result which underlined how the direction of travel had started to go the right way at the club.

6. Placing trust in Mikey Lewis

Just a couple of months before that incredible Lewis-led win at Warrington, the half-back was out on loan in the Championship at York Knights.

His future seemed uncertain, and there were doubts over his ability to crack it in Super League. But fast-forward to the present day and Lewis is an England international, one of the standout halves in Super League – and perhaps the Man of Steel in waiting, too.

Another stellar display on Friday could easily be the difference between success and failure for Rovers. He is THAT important.

5. Their statement win at Warrington this year

Of course, Rovers have won at Warrington before: we’ve just discussed it. But since Willie Peters took charge at Rovers, there was a train of thought that for whatever reason, the Robins just couldn’t win in that part of the world.

Quite a hindrance to your plans of winning the Super League Grand Final when the game is held in.. Manchester. But in August this year Rovers finally ended that hoodoo for a win on the road with a stunning 22-4 triumph that put them in the driving seat for a top-two finish.

It was also a night which underlined how they had become bonafide contenders.

4. The signing of Ryan Hall

A glance through the Rovers 17 that will feature tomorrow night underlines how there have been several key signings since 2020. But have any been quite as significant as Ryan Hall? We’d argue not.

He joined just after the club finished bottom in 2020 and brought not only his immense try-scoring record, but his impressive pedigree as a serial winner and his huge professionalism which helped drive standards through the roof at Rovers.

Hall has been influential on and off the field in transforming the Robins into a serious contender.

3. Paul Lakin’s arrival as CEO

Within weeks of Rovers finishing bottom of Super League, they announced another big signing – this time off the field, not on it.

Paul Lakin’s arrival as CEO didn’t really cause too much of a stir at the time but he’s been a real asset for the Robins. He’s helped drive standards off the field, and made some significant appointments and signings off it to help the club’s surge up the league.

His impact cannot be underestimated over the last four seasons.

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2. Reaching the Challenge Cup final

Naturally, reaching a major final for the first time in this spell of success has to go down as a significant moment. And while the game didn’t go Rovers’ way, it was another landmark step on their journey.

The nature of the outcome will sting many Robins supporters for years to come: particularly if they continue to fall short in the big games. The old saying is you have to lose one before you can win one. Can Peters and his side execute that theory over the next eight days?

1. Willie Peters’ appointment as head coach

There can be no doubting what the single most important moment in this journey over the last four years has been for the Robins: the arrival of the man overseeing everything on the pitch.

Peters’ appointment at the start of the 2023 has been the single biggest factor in transforming Rovers from a team that were making impressive strides to one who have now been catapulted into the conversation for major trophies on a regular basis.

Play-offs and a Challenge Cup final in his first season in charge, cup semi-final and a top-two finish this year. Can he help the club take that final step and end their lengthy wait for a major trophy?