Hull KR v Warrington preview

Credit: Sky Sports

Warrington Wolves travel over to Sewell Group Craven Park this Friday, as Daryl Powell’s men look to rejuvenate their 2022 campaign after back to back defeats to Wakefield, including last week’s 12-16 exit in the Betfred Challenge Cup.

The teams meet for the first time since last season’s quarter-final play-off clash, a game in which Mikey Lewis stole the show with a superb chip and chase effort as Rovers progressed into the last four, silencing the Halliwell Jones Stadium back in September.

Rovers are encouraged by the news that Lachlan Coote, Ryan Hall, and Jez Litten will all play for Hull KR against Warrington Wolves on Friday night. Off-season signing Coote has missed the previous three games with a hamstring injury as he seeks to relaunch his Hull KR career after a frustrating start, while Hall and Litten return after a well-earned rest, the pair watched from the sidelines as Tony Smith’s men fought off a late Leigh Centurions comeback, to progress into the last eight of the cup. The game comes too soon for Albert Vete, Luis Johnson and Dean Hadley who are all still working towards a date to return to action for the Red and Whites.

In the away camp, Mike Cooper and Daryl Clark have both been hit with disciplinary charges following their defeat on Sunday. However, the Warrington pair escaped their alleged bans and have been named in Powell’s 21 man squad for Friday’s Super League trip to East Hull.

The Wolves have been under heavy scrutiny this week on social media, with the Wire faithful in meltdown after four defeats in a row, Head Coach Daryl Powell discussed the manner of his team’s defeat and the lack of resilience when his side come under fire. Captain Jack Hughes and former Wigan man Joe Bullock are also in contention after being named back in the matchday squad.

“It’s a common theme really – we’re getting put under pressure and we don’t handle it. We can’t handle it. We just had a really good chat in there talking about player accountability for what we’re delivering. We’re 12-0 up but we can’t hold field position, our defence is incredibly soft at the moment and we just get rattled.” – Daryl Powell told the Warrington Guardian after his side’s exit from the Challenge Cup last week.

The main problem with Warrington in 2022 seems to be down the middle of the park, with the forward pack struggling to control their opposition with the underbelly of the Wolves’ defence seeming a real target for any side who faces them.

With over 12,000 fans expected to #PackThePark with the £1 ticket scheme, Rovers will be looking to set the standard from the first whistle to impress the capacity crowd but must expect a fierce response from Wire after a woeful few weeks but Rovers boss Tony Smith feels like his former employers have come under some unnecessary criticism leading up to Fridays Super League clash.

“I know the coach has been critical of Warrington at the moment but jeez, I’m seeing some boys who haven’t run as hard as they are running at the moment for a long time. The tackling is hard too – they’re having a real dig in many respects. They’re dangerous – they’ve got speed across the park, they’ve got some experienced players and international players, marquee players. There are all sorts of things that we’re going to be wary of in their team” – Hull KR coach Tony Smith on Warrington Wolves

The likes of Elliot Minchella, Matty Storton, George King and Frankie Halton have been a key asset in the Hull KR side in 2022, with the forwards leading from the front as the Robins playmakers have yet to find their 2021 form so far. George King vs Robbie Mulhern could be a real humdinger with the pair coming up against their former teammates with a extra point to prove. If Rovers want to leave Craven Park with the two points, they must win the battle of the forwards and let the outside-backs benefit from their dominance.

Style of play

The Mikey Lewis Try last week in the cup was replica of Hull KR last year. After Warrington over the past few weeks, if Rovers find an offload game and play their free flowing style of play that we’ve seen in parts of 2022, Tony Smith and his players will feel confident that they can pick up their third win of the season come Friday night

Hull KR 21-man squad: Lachlan Coote, Ben Crooks, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Matt Parcell, George King, Kane Linnett, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Jimmy Keinhorst, Mikey Lewis, Rowan Milnes, Will Maher, Ethan Ryan, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton.

Warrington 21-man squad: Matty Ashton, Joe Bullock, Josh Charnley, Daryl Clark, Jason Clark, Mike Cooper, Ben Currie, Matt Davis, Oliver Holmes, Jack Hughes, Toby King, Ellis Longstaff, Billy Magoulias, Peter Mata’utia, Robbie Mulhern, Joe Philbin, Josh Thewlis, Danny Walker, Gareth Widdop, George Williams, Connor Wrench.

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