HULL KR boss Willie Peters toasted his World Club champions and admitted: “I’d have been proud even if we’d lost that.”
The Robins chief saw his heroic side make history by lifting the title for the first time with a thrilling 30-24 success over NRL champions Brisbane Broncos.
The treble-winners – massive underdogs heading in – were 30-6 up at one point and in dreamland.
But Brisbane scored three tries in five minutes just after the hour mark with a stunning resurgence to leave KR holding on at the death.
Delighted Peters admitted: “This means a lot.
“We knew how big this game was: no Hull KR team has ever been involved in a game like this.
“We had so much success in the past, especially the 80s, but we were the first to have a chance at the World Club Challenge – and wanted to win it.
“At the back end there, it could have gone the other way. We knew they’d come.
“We probably didn’t help ourselves in some areas but also that’s how they [Brisbane] play; they won the NRL Grand Final last year after coming from behind three weeks running against three top teams.
“I’d have still been proud if we’d not won that. But we didn’t deserve to lose.”
On that remarkable start when they ruthlessly ran amok against their star-studded opponents, Peters admitted: “We were unbelievable.
“It’s exactly how we wanted to play. To be able to suffocate Brisbane is difficult to do.
“It’s a really well-balanced team. We lost our control and momentum and had to find a way. But we did.”