Hull Kingston Rovers take on Castleford this Friday with the Robins hoping to become the first name in the hat for Sundays semi-final draw.
Both teams are coming off impressive victories in the league last time around with last year’s cup runners-up Castleford securing a 32-6 demolition of Toulouse, whereas a first half flurry from Tony Smith’s KR blew Warrington away 34-18 with the Reds picking up their third league win of 2022.
The two sides met in the final of the grand old competition back in 1986. Tries from Bob Beardmore, Tony Marchant and Jamie Sandy saw the West Yorkshire outfit beat the Robins 15-14, with John Dorahy missing a late conversion attempt to win the game for Roger Millward’s side as the twin towers of the Old Wembley Stadium watched on.
Back to 2022, Hull KR will be looking to produce an early double over their Yorkshire counterparts after beating Lee Radford’s side back in February with a double from Sam Wood stealing the limelight that night.
Tony Smith welcomes back Jordan Abdull who is fit to play after missing last week’s match against Warrington Wolves due to an ear infection, but Rowan Milnes put a strong case forward last week to give Smith a few selection headaches leading into Fridays’ Quarter-Final clash. Duo Will Dagger and Dean Hadley return to the 21 man squad replacing Ethan Ryan and Tom Garratt.
Utility forward Hadley has struggled so far with injuries in 2022 and the former Hull FC man will be aiming to kickstart his season as the Robins look to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2015, a season that saw KR progress into the final and head to the national stadium. Rovers will still be without Albert Vete and Luis Johnson who are still recovering from their respective calf and foot issues.
There will be no homecoming for George Lawler who once again misses the trip to Sewell Group Craven Park after picking up a three match suspension after been charged with a grade C dangerous throw in Friday’s win over Toulouse. Forward Daniel Smith is back in contention following a calf strain and replaces Lawler with Radford sticking with the same 21 barring the suspended former KR man.
For both teams the Challenge Cup is the most realistic opportunity to pick up silverware in 2022. Castleford reached Wembley last season but came up short against St Helens 26-12. Lachlan Coote, now of Hull KR kicking five goals that day as Saints picked up their 13th Challenge Cup.
Tony Smith described last week victory over Warrington as “The closest to putting two halves together that we’ve had” with Matt Parcell and Elliot Minchella picking up praise from Smith as the pair toyed and teased the tired Wire defence throughout the contest.
“I thought our commitment and our defence was very, very good. I thought our composure, sticking to our plan, laid a pretty good platform for us. They (Warrington) are not in a good place at the moment. Executing the game plan and it coming off gave us confidence. It took away from theirs and that’s the name of the game” – Smith told Hull Live.
With the chance to walk out at Tottenham come 28th May, both teams will be raring to go as the Premier Sports cameras roll into East Hull on Friday night. If Rovers produce the same level of skill and enthusiasm as last week, it could be a tough ask for the Tigers, but as the Challenge Cup has shown us over the years, cup rugby is about who wants it more and who can cope when taken to places they may not be use to.
Key Battle
Matt Parcell v Paul McShane
When the KR 9 is on form, no other hooker in the league gets near the Australian, with his recent form sparking interest from the NRL. Parcell made 224 metres against Warrington and his battle against McShane could be where the game is won and lost for the Robins. Rovers look a different outfit when on the front foot and Parcell will be hoping for a similar outcome come Friday night.
Prediction – KR by 10
Hull KR Squad: Lachlan Coote, Ben Crooks, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Matt Parcell, George King, Dean Hadley, Kane Linnett, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Jimmy Keinhorst, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Rowan Milnes, Will Maher, Sam Wood, Greg Richards , Frankie Halton.
Castleford Squad: Niall Evalds, Derrell Olpherts, Jordan Turner, Jake Mamo, Bureta Faraimo, Jake Trueman, Liam Watts, Paul McShane, Kenny Edwards, Adam Milner, Joe Westerman, Nathan Massey, George Griffin, Mahe Fonua, Tyla Hepi, James Clare, Alex Sutcliffe, Daniel Smith, Greg Eden, Suaia Matagi, Gareth O’Brien
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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.
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.
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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Hull Kingston Rovers have successfully completed the purchase of Sewell Group Craven Park, with Chief Executive Officer Paul Lakin describing it as a ‘landmark moment’ for the East Hull outfit.
The Robins moved to the ground in 1989 from the ‘Old Craven Park’ which was sited on Holderness Road – a main area in East Hull.
Talks of purchasing the new ground from Hull City Council and Kingston Community Developments Ltd have been an ongoing talking point in the city since KR were rescued from administration in 2000 by Edward Klempker, the man that Price Waterhouse Coopers decided was the hero the club needed after the club were placed into administration three years prior.
In the 33 years that Sewell Group Craven Park has stood proudly down Poorhouse Lane, rugby league hasn’t always been the only sport of action in East Hull with the club always looking for ways to expand their connections.
For a decade – between 1995 to 2005 -, speedway team Hull Vikings shared the ground with Rovers, but the team were forced to shut down due to a spate of crippling financial problems. The ground has seen concerts, football, and even a Championship fixture of the Quidditch Premier League back in 2017!
Two years prior to the Quidditch, and just 4 hours after KR had beat Warrington Wolves in the Challenge Cup semi-final to reach Wembley for the first time since ’97 , Tommy Coyle and Luke Campbell met in the boxing ring as Sewell Group Craven Park hosted the ‘Rumble on the Humber’.
15,ooo people saw Olympic gold medalist Campbell end Coyle’s brave effort with East Hull and West Hull colliding once again, this time with two men representing their side of the river instead of 26 as found in a rugby league fixture.
The purchase of Sewell Group Craven Park and the surrounding area now opens up a whole new era for the Reds with the building and development of top first-team and academy training facilities being central to the concept of the stadium takeover.
Having everything under one roof provides the club from academy to first team with the long-term stability and extra income to produce a trophy-winning side, something the people of East Hull crave. Rovers CEO Lakin spoke to Hull Live, saying: “It opens up a whole host of exciting opportunities for the community in east Hull and Hull as a whole.
“But most importantly for the club to own its’ own stadium and to have the option to develop the surrounding land, it secures the future of the club for many years to come.”
A passionate video from KR’s social media team broke the news, featuring club legend and president Mike Smith, Rovers supporters group chairman and all-round nice guy Ian Adge’ Cutler as well as long-serving staff member Trevor ‘Barney’ Barnett, who is part of the club’s furniture for his endless hard work over the years.
The video showed the character and fabric of the club which is what the main ethos of Robins stands for.
Hull Kingston Rovers prides itself on being part of the community, and with the purchase of the ground finally going through, the hard work starts now to create a campus feel around the area with the design of a state of the art facility for generations to come.
28th March 2022 will now always be known as the day that Hull Kingston Rovers finally had a house to call their home.
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Hull KR and Leigh Centurions meet for the fourth time in six seasons in the Betfred Challenge Cup on Saturday as both teams aim to be in the quarter-final draw of the grand old competition!
Rovers welcome back Ben Crooks who has been selected in Tony Smith’s 21-man team for Saturday’s clash. The outside-back missed the beginning of the Super League season due to a knee setback suffered while recovering from his off-season shoulder surgery.
Crooks seems ready to make his first Rovers outing in six months against old side Leigh after featuring for Danny McGuire’s reserve team last week in a victory over St Helens. Kane Linnett also returns to the 21 man squad, having overcome a quad injury that saw the second-row miss the narrow defeat in Perpignan. On the flip side, Albert Vete is out after suffering a calf injury in the defeat to Catalans Dragons which may see the Tongan miss a few games, while Will Tate is the other casualty from last week’s squad.
You’d be forgiven for forgetting the Robins are in action this week after the Rugby League rumour mill has been firmly placed in East Hull this week with Tony Smith and Danny McGuire becoming favourites to return to Headingly since the sudden departure of Richard Agar, who resigned from his post at the struggling Rhinos. Smith was absent from his pre-match press conference which added more fuel to the fire but a post on Thursday afternoon on the Rovers official pages with Smith and McGuire present at training has eased the situation.
The visiting Centurions are coming off a 16-26 victory on Monday night over Halifax. Tries from Mark Ioane, Nene Macdonald, Keanan Brand, Tom Amone and Joe Wardle moved Adrian Lamb’s side up to second in the Betfred Championship, one point behind leaders Featherstone.
With the visits of Warrington and Hull FC on the horizon for the Red and Whites, the East Hull outfit have three games in succession at Sewell Group Craven Park and will be looking to use their home advantage starting this week in the cup. The Reds will have to be on their A-game this weekend and only have to look at the last time the two sides met in the cup, a last-gasp try from Nick Rawsthorne saw Rovers break the hearts of the travelling Leythers on Covid Eve.
Key Man
Leigh will try to take Rovers down the middle on Saturday and will be led by experienced powerhouse Adam Sidlow. The former Bradford man only knows one tempo and direction, he scored a brace over the Robins last season whilst dominating the KR pack. The likes of Sidlow, Amone and Asiata must be controlled by the Robins who will try to assert their dominance from the off against the Championship outfit. KR must outpace their counterparts around the ruck to tire the big men who are coming off a 5-day turnaround.
Hull KR 21-man squad: 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, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Rowan Milnes, Will Maher, Ethan Ryan, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton.
Leigh 21-man squad: Caleb Aekins, Jy Hitchcox, Keanan Brand, Nene MacDonald, Tom Nisbet, Ben Reynolds, Joe Mellor, Adam Sidlow, Aaron Smith, Joe Wardle, Sam Stone, Tom Amone, Ata Hingano, Ed Chamberlain, Jacob Jones, John Asiata, Luis Roberts, Kieran Dixon, Edwin Ipape, James McDonnell, Krisnan Inu.
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Hull FC’s composure and discipline earned the Black and Whites their fourth win of 2022, seeing off Huddersfield Giants 14-6 at the MKM Stadium.
Following a thrilling victory over Leeds Rhinos last week, FC boss Brett Hodgson was forced to make further changes to his already depleted squad with Joe Cator, Kane Evans, and Jamie Shaul all missing. Hodgson did however welcome back Tongan international and experienced forward Manu Ma’u for the first time this season, with Jordan Lane also returning to bolster the hosts’ pack.
Huddersfield meanwhile have been the surprise package so far in 2022 and headed to West Hull in a rich vein of form, starting the campaign with four victories and just the one defeat before their trip to the MKM.
Both teams started the contest at a ferocious pace with Chris Hill of the Giants and Chris Satae of Hull FC leading their respective forward packs as the big men went through a lot of work in the opening stages trying to dominate their counterparts from the off.
Hull looked in control throughout and their positive start was rewarded on 14 minutes as a fantastic offload from the returning Ma’u set his side on the front foot before a clever kick from Jake Connor was met by Mitieli Vulikijapni who touched down in front of the North Stand.
That was as good as it got in the first half for either team. As Hull’s Josh Griffin did, Huddersfield’s Joe Greenwood also saw an effort chalked off before the interval as the Giants struggled to click in attack and coach Ian Watson will be frustrated that his side didn’t offer enough questions of Hull FC in defence.
HALF TIME: HULL FC 6-0 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS
At the restart, FC’s domination continued with Brad Fash setting the tone in attack down the middle of the park including a 40-meter burst downfield which resulted in a set restart deep into Huddersfield’s territory, ending in an offside call against the Giants from referee Liam Moore.
Hodgson’s men took that penalty as a chance to get some more points on the board, with Ben McNamara slotting over to give the Black and Whites an eight-point cushion with 32 minutes left to play.
Only moments later, Andre Savelio scored FC’s second try of the game and putting the affair out of reach for those who had made the journey from West Yorkshire. Giants stand-off Tui Lolohea fumbled Joe Lovodua’s grubber kick in goal which was met by a dab from the foot of Connor before the back-rower pounced on the bouncing ball. Savelio was rewarded with a try after a stellar opening 50 minutes, causing havoc in attack and defence.
In an unsavoury fashion, however, the main talking point of the game came in the 68th minute when Huddersfield’s Will Pryce was shown a straight red card for a horrific attempt at a tackle on Connor Wynne which is almost certain to result in a lengthy ban.
Although Pryce – touted by many as a real up and coming star – does look set to be sat in the stands for a few weeks, some great sportsmanship between him and Wynne after the dismissal was nice to see for all at the MKM on a sunny afternoon.
Down to 12, Huddersfield rallied with Chris McQueen taking his try-scoring tally to six for the season late on. A former England International, who some believe could challenge for a place in this year’s World Cup squad, burst through two challengers to get himself over the line.
However, a comeback was out of the question for Watson’s side, as Hull FC held on to their lead with the extra man and picked up back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
FULL TIME: HULL FC 14-6 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS
Hull FC: Jake Connor; Adam Swift, Mitieli Vulikijapani, Josh Griffin, Connor Wynne; Joe Lovodua, Ben McNamara; Ligi Sao, Danny Houghton, Chris Satae; Andre Savelio, Manu Ma’u; Jack Brown
Bench: Brad Fash, Jordan Johnstone, Josh Bowden, Jordan Lane
Huddersfield: Tui Lolohea; Jermaine McGillvary, Leroy Cudjoe, Ricky Leutele, Innes Senior; Olly Russell, Will Pryce; Owen Trout, Danny Levi, Chris Hill; Chris McQueen, Ollie Roberts; Luke Yates.
Bench: Ashton Golding, Matty English, Joe Greenwood, Oliver Wilson
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169 days since Hull KR faced Catalan Dragons in the 2021 semi-final, the two teams face off again this Friday in Round six of Super League at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan.
The Robins got back to winning ways last week with a hard-fought victory over Salford, whereas last season’s Grand Finalists Catalans have kicked on from last year with a 28-0 demolition over Wigan shows the Dragons want to go one step further this time around.
Kane Linnett and Dean Hadley will miss Hull KR’s trip to Catalan, dampening the Robins’ preparations for the trip to France. Linnett has experienced a repeat of the quad issue that led him to miss the previous game against St Helens, whereas Hadley sustained a calf injury in last week’s victory against Salford Red Devils. There’s still no place for Lachlan Coote in Tony Smith’s 21-man squad but key playmaker Matt Parcell is fit for the clash after a dead leg scare in Greater Manchester last week.
The Dragons are currently third in the table with four wins from five and welcome back Dylan Napa, Sam Kasiano, and prolific winger Fouad Yaha who are all expected to return to strengthen the already formidable Dragons outfit.
The two sides met four times in 2021, with the Dragons victorious in all. From a classic golden point victory in Round one to a semi-final battle for the right to play at Old Trafford, Catalans and KR produced a great storyline throughout 2021 and Friday’s clash will continue the tale.
Rovers will travel on Friday morning to Perpignan and return back to East Hull straight after the game. KR boss Tony Smith had his say on the right way to prepare for the occasion.
“You go over there and back on the day and get the job done and it’s the best way to do it. If you don’t, you want to do it the other way. I’ve done it both ways. I’ve had some good results and also come a cropper at times too” Smith told the Hull Daily Mail.
Key Man
Even at 32 years of age, the formidable Sam Tomkins still provides the biggest threat in this Catalan side. His link-up play from the back with Pearce and Drinkwater can split teams in half and Rovers will have to take the game to the England International and his teammates to have any chance of taking home the two points.
How the game can be won
The hostile atmosphere by the Catalans faithful can be the 14th man on the field for the home side and has changed the course of many games in Perpignan. Rovers must control the game from the start and silence the crowd early to assert their dominance from the first whistle. KR won the battle of the packs last week which gifted the Robins with a three-try lead at the break, you feel with the likes of Kasiano, Napa, Dudson and Garcia, the travelling side must slow the ruck down in defence to stop Catalans from getting a foothold in possession and territory.
Prediction
Catalan by 14
Catalans 21-man squad: Tom Davies, Samisoni Langi, Dean Whare, Fouad Yaha, Mitchell Pearce, Josh Drinkwater, Gil Dudson, Micky McIlorum, Matt Whitley, Mike McMeeken, Ben Garcia, Alrix Da Costa, Benjamin Jullien, Paul Seguier, Mickael Goudemand, Arthur Romano, Tyrone May, Dylan Napa, Joe Chan, Sam Kasiano, Sam Tomkins.
Hull KR 21-man squad: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Albert Vete, Matt Parcell, George King, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Jimmy Keinhorst, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Rowan Milnes, Will Maher, Ethan Ryan, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton, Will Tate.
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]]>Hull Kingston Rovers got back back to winning ways on Friday night with a 26-16 victory over Salford Red Devils. A brace from Mikey Lewis and tries from Elliot Minchella and Matty Storton saw the Robins pick up their second win of the 2022 campaign.
Tony Smith made three changes to the side who were humbled against the champions the previous week, with Jimmy Keinhorst, Tom Garratt and Kane Linnett replacing the overseas trio of Lachlan Coote, Korbin Sims and Brad Takairangi. The Red Devils named five former KR players in their 17, including prolific try scorer Ken Sio.
Rovers started on the front foot and dominated the ball in the opening stages of the game, two quick penalties for KR due to the darting runs of Matt Parcell gave the Robins a set five meters away from the Salford line, but the constant pressure from Rovers came to nothing after Minchella knocked-on over the line. Garratt and George King were setting the platform in the opening quarter for Tony Smiths men.
The visitors opened the scoring on 15 minutes after some solid defence gave KR the ball in the Salford half, a clever little dab through from Abdull forced an error in goal from Ryan Brierley with Minchella pouncing on the loose ball.
Storton was next on the scoresheet as the former Bradford man crashed over from short range from a Lewis pass. Strong runs from Parcell and Vete prior to the try left Salford short in defence with Storton picking the gap and doubling the Rovers’ lead.
Persistent set restarts led to former Hull KR player Ryan Lannon going for 10 in the bin and Rovers made their numerical advantage count. A moment of magic came from Lewis who replicated his famous chip and chase four pointer from last season’s play-off victory over Warrington. The livewire took his chance and beat Brierley to score on the hooter giving the blue and yellow’s of Hull KR a three try lead at the break with Rovers producing their best 40 minutes of the season so far.
Whatever Paul Rowley said to his team at the interval seemed to work as a fired up Salford side forced a error early in the second half from Will Dagger leading to a set scrum play finished off by Sio for his seventh try in five games as Matt Parcell left the field of play after picking up a knock, as the swing of momentum started to change.
Rovers struggled to carry on their dominance from the first half and some powerful carries from Gerrard and Tim Lafai on the 55 minute mark set up Marc Sneyd who stayed calm under pressure to grubber through to former North Queensland Cowboy second-row Shane Wright who scored in front of the travelling Rovers fans. Sneyd missed the conversion leaving the Red Devils two tries behind.
Salford grew in confidence as the second half progressed, but an error by Sneyd from the kick restart gave Rovers a perfect opportunity to put the game to bed.
However, in what appeared to be a game-changing moment at the time as Rovers tried their hand at the Salford line, Abdull fed a short ball towards Frankie Halton which was intercepted by the Salford number seven as Sneyd made up for his error in the previous set as he raced away with the ball.
A valiant effort by Ryan Hall was not enough as Sneyd set up former Wigan and Sydney man Joe Burgess out wide. 18-16 with 18 to go, as the game looked like it could be slipping away from Rovers.
As the atmosphere in the AJ Bell intensified, Abdull and Lewis took the game by the scruff of it’s neck and some steady completed sets finished by a drill into touch slowed the game down and took the sting out of the Salford attack.
The game was won on 68 minutes after a huge bomb that sat in the Greater Manchester sky from Abdull was collected by Halton who did ever so well to feed Lewis, who benefited from Halton’s offload after the in-form back-rower beat Brierley to the kick.
Lewis went over for his second of the night with his trademark celebration capping off another fantastic individual performance from the 20-year-old.
A penalty on the hooter for the Robins was converted by Abdull who put the icing on the cake for Rovers who picked up their second victory of the season after a second half scare.
Star Man
As good as Mikey Lewis was, Tom Garratt was brilliant in his first Super League start. The front row of Garratt, Parcell and King dominated from the get go and won every battle against the opposite pack in the first half as they were rewarded with a 18 point lead at the break and the former Dewsbury man will be looking to kick on and cement a place in Smith’s 17.
Verdict
The win was all that mattered on a cold, windy night but Rovers must be more creative in attack. The Robins are still finding it tough with their set plays and against better opposition will need to get their 2021 flair back to climb up the table in 2022 as Rovers sit seventh with two wins from five games.
Up Next
A repeat of last seasons Semi-Final is up next for Rovers as they head to Perpignan next Saturday to take on Catalan Dragons.
Salford: Ryan Brierley, Ken Sio, Deon Cross, Tim Lafai, Joe Burgess, Brodie Croft, Marc Sneyd, Sitaleki Akauola, Andy Ackers, King Vuniyayawa, Shane Wright, James Greenwood, Danny Addy.
Bench: Elijah Taylor, Ryan Lannon, Jack Ormondroyd, Alex Gerrard.
Hull KR: Will Dagger, Sam Wood, Jimmy Keinhorst, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Mikey Lewis, Tom Garratt, Matt Parcell, George King, Frankie Halton, Kane Linnett, Elliot Minchella.
Bench: Jez Litten, Dean Hadley, Matty Storton, Albert Vete.
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]]>Salford Red Devils and Hull Kingston Rovers meet this Friday in a clash which will see both sides looking to prove their doubters wrong after shaky starts to their 2022 campaigns.
Both sides are coming off heavy defeats last week with Ian Watson’s Huddersfield Giants running in six tries to pull off a thumping 34-2 victory over his former Salford side, whereas champions St Helens put the Robins to the sword as they left East Hull with the two points in their eight-try romp at Sewell Group Craven Park.
The previous meetings between the two clubs has thrown up some absolute classics, including the 2016 dramatic million pound game which created a immediate rivalry between the sides. The game will also include a number of Salford players who formerly wore the Red and White of Hull KR, including Ryan Brierley, Ken Sio, James Greenwood, Danny Addy, Ryan Lannon, and Chris Atkin, with Greg Burke missing the tie.
Off the field incidents have dampened the mood in the KR camp with the news that Brad Takairangi has been stood down by the club until his court case is completed. The outside-back had previously admitted to dangerously driving his car on the A63 after consuming a significant amount of alcohol, and will be sentenced on March 31st. Nothing has been confirmed or finalised yet, but don’t count on the Cook Island star representing the Robins once again as the severe charges placed against Takairangi look to have ended his time in East Hull.
“We felt we needed to do something there and recognise the situation that Brad is in and make sure we do the best by him as well. Sometimes that’s by removing people from situations where they may not be able to fulfil to their best as well.” KR coach Tony Smith told the Hull Daily Mail this week.
Salford will provide a real test for Tony Smith’s men on Friday night as the Robins must start on the front foot to come away with the points in Greater Manchester. Marc Sneyd has been a thorn in the side of many a Rovers side during his days with Hull FC. On his day Sneyd can kick teams to death and sets the platform for his side with his left foot. Territory and possession will be the deciding factor on Friday with the outside-backs of KR facing a tricky challenge. Both clubs on-form can be a real handful in this division but the theme of “consistently in-consistent” which applies to both sides leaves the outcome and standard of the round five clash a tough one to call.
The right hand side of Takairangi and Sam Wood has been the target of many so far in 2022 with seven of the eight tries conceded against St Helens coming down the right edge. The combination of Ken Sio and Tim Lafai who already have nine tries between them this campaign and will be raring to go against the leaky defensive edge but with the expectation that Ethan Ryan will return onto the wing leaving Wood to return to his natural centre role, the pair have a fantastic chance to form a new partnership and cement their place in the side with the return of experienced outside-back Ben Crooks becoming ever closer.
Rovers are boosted with the timely return of 2021 team of the year second-row Kane Linnett. The Scottish international missed last week’s match due to a quad injury suffered in the victory over Castleford Tigers, but has been cleared to play again and will add a real threat to the KR attack which has struggled in recent weeks.
The game seems like a “must win” for both teams but with a trip to Perpignan and a home tie against Warrington on the horizon for the Robins before the typically busy Easter Period, a victory over Salford will be the perfect chance to end the week on a high after the off-field incidents at the club becoming the main focus of round five.
Key Head-to-Head Battle
The half-back pairings of Marc Sneyd and Brodie Croft against Jordan Abdull and Mikey Lewis seems to be where the game will be won and lost this week. The Rovers’ playmakers have struggled creatively so far and have relied on individual brilliance to get over the line. Rowan Milnes has been included in the 21 man squad and will be breathing down the neck of the Hull born duo if they produce another unflattering performance. Abdull must outkick his opposite number with the former teammates both having the influence to turn a game on its head.
Salford 21-man squad: Ryan Brierley, Ken Sio, Tim Lafai, Joe Burgess, Brodie Croft, Marc Sneyd, Sitaleki Akauola, Andy Ackers, Shane Wright, James Greenwood, Elijah Taylor, Danny Addy, King Vuniyayawa, Ryan Lannon, Chris Atkin, Jack Ormondroyd, Rhys Williams, Matt Costello, Sam Luckley, Deon Cross, Alex Gerrard.
Hull KR 21-man squad: Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Albert Vete, Matt Parcell, George King, Dean Hadley, Kane Linnett, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Jimmy Keinhorst, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Rowan Milnes, Ethan Ryan, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton.
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]]>St Helens continued their unbeaten start to Super League 2022 with a fantastic 8-42 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers.
The game started with two early mistakes from Morgan Knowles and Albert Vete as the rain poured down on Sewell Group Craven Park. The treacherous weather didn’t stop the champions for long as Sione Mata’utia crashed over from short range after three minutes to open the scoring.
To have had any chance in this game, Hull KR needed to capitalise on every error the champions made, Rovers managed to win two set restarts in quick succession but an impossible offload by Brad Takairangi ended the threat from the home side who found possession and territory scarce throughout the match.
On 17 minutes, Tongan stalwart Konrad Hurrell was sent to the sin-bin for a late hit on rovers’ half-back Jordan Abdull which led to the Reds having their best stint of the game as the Robins made the numbers count with Ryan Hall scoring his first try of the season after a slick shift play down the left-hand side.
From then on, Saints turned up the intensity and blew away the Robins.
Jordan Abdull was punished for a criminal forward pass as a simple but clinical move from Saints saw Tommy Makinson slide over in the corner for his first of the night. Rovers were their own worse enemies on the night, they matched the league leaders at this point but silly errors and poor game management skills started to creep into Tony Smith’s side.
Two quick-fire tries from Lewis Dodd killed off any comeback from the Robins and dampened the mood at Craven Park, again poor choices from KR’s playmakers gifted the Saints with possession, and as seen over the past three seasons, you give this team an inch, and they will take a mile as a Saints score on the hooter added more salt in the Robins wounds.
Half Time – KR 4-24 St Helens
The half may have been different but the style of play from both teams stayed the same as another Rovers error and some sloppy individual defensive efforts from the Rovers middlemen saw Sione Mata’utia score an identical effort to his first as he doubled his tally. The night went from bad to worse for the East Hull outfit as former Saints start Lachlan Coote hobbled off the field to a chorus of “He’s the reason” by the travelling supporters.
On 53′ minute referee, James Child sent KR hooker Jez Litten to the sin-bin for dissent adding more pressure to the tiering Robins. The right-hand side defence of Rovers has been questioned throughout 2022 which saw seven of the eight tries scored by Saints all coming down the edge of Takairangi and Wood, a partnership that is struggling to contain their outside backs as another classy shift play fed Makinson for his second of the game and with the England International adding the extras from the touchline, the scoreboard painted a demolition job, 34-4 after 54 minutes.
Rovers looked a much better team with George King, Elliot Minchella and Matty Storton on the pitch, with King the standout of the bunch. The Irish Wolfhound sets the tone for the Rovers pack every time he takes onto the field and the big worry for Tony Smith is how to keep the momentum going when his homegrown forwards are having a breather, the impact off the bench and some poor individual performances of some of KR’s big money imports are costing the team so far in 2022.
Alex Walmsley was next to cross the whitewash as a pinpoint Jonny Lomax kick sat up perfectly for the powerhouse who scattered Matt Parcell over in his way to the line, a valiant effort from the Australian, but not many people stop big Al from close range.
An unsung hero on the night, Frankie Halton who was playing in the NCL four years ago has set Super League alight in his debut season with his first four games seeing the former Featherstone star make 156 tackles, completing every single one, a real bright spark on a disappointing night for KR. Halton scored a consolation try near the end after captain SKD kept the ball alive to feed the second-rower who opened his Sper Lague account.
The final try summed up Hull KR’s night, Will Dagger failed to kill the ball after a kick from Saints which saw Makinson dive on the spilt Robins’ ball to complete his hat-trick, Makinson ended the night with 5/8 from the tee.
Full Time – Hull KR 10-42 Saints
Summary
KR won’t come up against a better team all season but costly errors and poor game management will haunt you against most teams in the competition. The Robin’s middlemen must control the ruck and slow the play down as Saints ran riot against a tired-looking forward pack. Questions must be asked of Brad Takairangi who is the subject of a serious court case at the back end of the month with the outside-back looking lost out on the pitch, with the return of Ethan Ryan getting closer every week, Smith must assess what’s best for both the club and for the Takairangi family at this moment in time.
Star Man
Frankie Halton stole the headlines once again for the robins, he will be better for coming up against the best pack in the league and gave a positive account for himself. Halton will be a key asset for the reds this year and his versatility on the pitch makes him one of the first names on Tony Smiths’ teamsheet.
St Helens: Jack Welsby, Will Hopoate, Konrad Hurrell, Mark Percival, Tommy Makinson, Jonny Lomax, Lewis Dodd, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Matty Lees, Sione Mata’utia, Joe Batchelor, Morgan Knowles.
Bench: Joey Lussick, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Kyle Amor, Agnatius Paasi.
Hull KR: Lachlan Coote, Sam Wood, Brad Takairangi, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Mikey Lewis, Albert Vete, Matt Parcell, George King, Dean Hadley, Frankie Halton, Matty Storton.
Bench: Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Will Dagger.
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]]>Friday night will see a mouthwatering clash in the Betfred Super League as reigning champions and unbeaten St Helens travel to take on a Hull Kingston Rovers side.
Tony Smith will be hoping his side can kick on after picking up their first points of 2022 last time out against Castleford Tigers.
The Reds finally clicked last week and will be raring to go against a team they haven’t beaten since 2015, a night when two length-of-the-field tries from Albert Kelly was enough to snatch the two points off the Saints.
Like most teams that come up against the champions this season, Rovers will have to be at their best for 80 minutes to come away with anything on Friday night, but with the timely return of former Saints hero Lachlan Coote, Tony Smith’s men will have a fantastic chance of going toe-to-toe with the leagues stand out team.
To challenge this formidable Saints side, you have to control the middle of the park and Rovers will be hoping the return of three key forwards this week will enhance their chances of busting up the likes of the inform Alex Walmsley and co.
Albert Vete has returned to the 21 man squad after serving a two-game suspension, and Korbin Sims and Dean Hadley are also preparing to return to play. Sims was forced to withdraw from the game against Castleford Tigers due to a neck injury, while Hadley was unable to play due to illness, which has posed a problem for Smith again this week, who has revealed the stomach bug has ripped through the East Hull team.
Scottish international Kane Linnett will also be assessed right up to the last minute as he came off in last week’s victory with a quad issue.
On the subject of players who represent the Bravehearts, the main talking point of this clash is of course the return of Lachlan Coote who will line up against the team he won four major trophies within his three-year stay on Merseyside and has stated the importance of matching his former club’s energy levels come kick-off. The full-back returns after a fortnight on the sidelines and has received praise from both Woolf and Smith leading up to Friday night’s clash. Woolf also praised KR when speaking to The St Helens Star this week.
“They are no longer a team that is going to catch you by surprise if you are not on your toes, and we certainly see them as a top-six team and they proved that last year when they won some big games,” Woolf told the St Helens Star.
Saints will have former Canterbury Bulldogs star Will Hopoate back for the trip to East Yorkshire but will be missing Australian second-row Curtis Sironen, who received a one-match suspension for his swinging arm in the Wakefield encounter.
Sironen has come off the bench in all three games so far, with Kyle Amor, James Bell, or Jake Wingfield appearing the most likely replacements off the bench.
The clash will be an early indicator of how Hull KR will compete against the league’s “top teams” in 2022. If the Rovers side that performed at Huddersfield a few weeks ago turns up, Saints will have a field day, but on their day the strike force in the KR camp can cause damage whoever the opponent and with the backing of the home crowd, will be hoping to lay down a marker and send a warning to the rest of Super League.
Hull KR v St Helens
Friday 4th March
8 pm
Sewell Group Craven Park
Hull KR 21-man squad: Lachlan Coote, Brad Takairangi, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Ryan Hall, Jordan Abdull, Albert Vete, Matt Parcell, George King, Dean Hadley, Kane Linnett, Matty Storton, Jez Litten, Korbin Sims, Elliot Minchella, Jimmy Keinhorst, Will Dagger, Mikey Lewis, Sam Wood, Greg Richards, Tom Garratt, Frankie Halton.
St Helens 21-man squad: Jack Welsby, Tommy Makinson, Will Hopoate, Mark Percival, Jonny Lomax, Lewis Dodd, Alex Walmsley, James Roby, Matty Lees, Sione Mata’utia, Joe Batchelor, Morgan Knowles, Joey Lussick, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Agnatius Paasi, Kyle Amor, Jake Wingfield, James Bell, Josh Simm, Ben Davies, Konrad Hurrell.
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