HULL KR centre OIiver Gildart paid tribute to his family’s support after his return from injury and his starring role against St Helens to book his side a spot in the Super League Grand Final.
Gildart grabbed two tries and set up another in a brilliant display.
Earlier this season the 29-year-old spent four months on the sidelines with a knee injury and only returned to the Robins’ first-team three weeks ago.
But he will now face his old team at Old Trafford, four years after he left the Warriors.
On the win over Saints, he said: “It wasn’t too bad. No it was a special night. Really good for myself and my family. My mum was in tears at the end.
“They’ve been through the journey with me and it’s not been great the last four or five months being injured, so it meant a lot. Back to Old Trafford!
“It was good for the confidence. I felt more like myself out there than in the previous two games. So it’s happy days.”
Gildart combined perfectly on the left side with Joe Burgess, another former Wigan player who the centre went to school with.
Burgess finished the match with a try and two try assists.
“We read each other very well,” Gildart said. “We’re best friends off the field.”
Hull KR will face Wigan in the decider, after they knocked off Leigh on Friday night.
“Wigan have been good, haven’t they,” said Gildart.
“It was a tough game; I thought Leigh were probably the better team for 40 minutes in the first half.
“But Wigan have freaky players who can do anything.
“It’s a tough ask next week but I think we’re a better team than we were last year and hopefully we can go one step further.”