Jordan Abdull believes Hull KR are gathering momentum on and off the field, and he hopes their progress can help him achieve his biggest career goal of winning a major trophy.
The Robins last week became the first club in a decade to sell out back-to-back Super League games, with a capacity crowd for the Hull derby following likewise against Warrington Wolves two weeks earlier – the first games since the club completed the purchase of Craven Park.
In between those games, the Robins also booked their place in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, following on from reaching the semi-finals of the Super League play-offs last season.
“There’s some real momentum behind us as a club on and off the field,” said Abdull, who made his 150th career appearance in their Good Friday victory over Hull FC.
“We showed a lot of progression last year and getting to the play-off semi-finals was massive for the club.
“Now we’ve purchased the stadium, we’ve got Craven Streat. The club is going in the right direction and it’s exciting to be a part of.”
Today’s (Monday) Super League game at Toulouse Olympique is the first of three more in April before attention turns back to the Challenge Cup, with Huddersfield Giants their opponents at Elland Road.
That competition provides the next opportunity for Abdull to get his hands on a trophy for the first time in his career and he is desperate to do so.
“You don’t play sport to not win anything and it would be one of the biggest regrets of my career if I didn’t manage to win anything.
“It’s all well and good making it in Super League but you want something at the end of it, to say “I was part of this special group that won this or won that’. We have the opportunity this year.
“I’ve played since I’ve been six years old, so if I retire in my mid-30s it would be more than 25 years of my life that I’ve invested into one thing.
“I’d want something you can look back on and tell your kids, I worked my whole life to play with this special group that came away with something at the end.
“I feel like we’ve got that group this year, we have a special team. If we perform on the days we’ve got these big games, there’s no reason why we can’t achieve that desire.”
Hull KR will have to win their semi-final without Abdull’s halfback partner Mikey Lewis, however, after the youngster was ruled out for between six and eight weeks with ruptured ankle ligaments.
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