LOCK LANE, York, Brisbane Broncos and Las Vegas is arguably the most eclectic mix you’ll find to any rugby league season.
But you won’t hear Hull KR coach Willie Peters complaining.
The treble-winning Robins chief is just days away from seeing his side begin their defence of the Challenge Cup against Castleford community club Lock Lane.
Then it’s quickly onto Super League and an opening night trip to new boys York Knights, before facing NRL champions Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge at MKM Stadium and Leeds Rhinos in Sin City.
Peters admitted: “It [the season start] has come around so quickly.
“I can’t believe it’s here already. Friday’s our first game and then we’re on the treadmill pretty much every week.
“You don’t get a break if you do make the Challenge Cup Final and you play at the end of the year, too.
“So it’s a demanding schedule. But it’s a schedule that we’re looking forward to because we’re in a privileged position by being able to play, firstly, the World Club Challenge – which will be a massive game against the Broncos – and then the week after we’re going to Vegas on another massive stage as well.
“So we’re certainly not complaining about it. We’ll need to manage things, I’d say, throughout the year.
“But you have just got to worry about the present because a lot can happen in Rugby League.
“We’ll worry about our first game, which is Lock Lane on Friday, and then a big focus is on that round one match versus York.”
Against National Conference club Lock Lane, Rovers aren’t set to feature any of their England squad who were involved in the Ashes.
That means former Man of Steel Mikey Lewis, hooker Jez Litten and prolific winger Joe Burgess are set to get extra time to prepare for their first appearances this season.
But a raft of first-teamers will get a chance to impress as the Robins get up and running in the competition they won for the first time in 45 years last June.
Peters said: “We’ll have a lot of the older guys sprinkled with some younger fellas, too. It’ll be a good mix.”