Rovers co-captain Josh Hodgson admits he’s facing an emotional week as he prepares for what could be his final Hull derby on Friday night.
The Robins face Hull FC at the KC Stadium later this week in what could be the hooker’s last taste of the unique rivalry before he joins NRL side Canberra Raiders next season.
With the Red and Whites winning both Super League meetings between the sides so far this season, Hodgson says he’d love to make it three from three in what he says is a huge match for both him and the club.
“There’ll be mixed emotions between nerves and excitement for me but it’s a massive game in our season,” he said.
“It’s going to be emotional, it’s my last derby for a while and possibly my last one ever if things go well for me in the NRL. I’ll be doing my best to win it and I’m sure the fans will be wanting us to make it 3-0 for this year over them as well.
“There’s a very focused mentality in the camp at the minute. We all know it’s a massive game, not only in terms of what it means to the fans and the club but also in terms of where we sit in the league.
“We know our season could hang on the result. If we lose this, it’s going to be tough to get in the top eight but if we win we’re right on track for getting in the play-offs with us facing Catalan the week after.
“Personally, I’m going to think about it a lot more than I would any other game or any other derby. I’m a Hull kid, I’ve been brought up in the city and I know how much it means to the fans. It means a lot to me too and it will have a bit more of an effect on me than normal, definitely.”
Hodgson joined Rovers from rivals Hull FC in 2010 and has gone on to make more than 100 appearances for the club as well as earning international recognition for the England Knights and a call-up to Steve McNamara’s training squad for this season’s Four Nations.
Set to join Canberra on a two-year contract from 2015, he says he’d love to bow out having led the Robins to a play-off berth in the remaining rounds of the campaign.
“My aim is to make the eight this season. That has to be the bare minimum in my final year at the club,” he added.
“It’s going to be an emotional final few weeks for me and the last thing I want to do is to leave the club without us even making the play-offs.
“If we win our next three games, it’s more than likely that we’ll get into the eight but first and foremost we’re focused on Hull on Friday and getting a result over there.”
