HULL KR went down 9-2 to Wigan Warriors in the 2025 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford tonight.
Rovers were second best for the majority of the fixture, with Bevan French magic separating the two sides in the end.
For KR, it’s back to the drawing board following a phenomenal year, with head coach Willie Peters saying this after the game: “I’m proud of the players and what they have done all season. We never gave in and that’s what Hull KR people do,” Peters said.
“You have got to work hard and be resilient and that’s in our DNA. We showed that again tonight even though we were on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
“Wigan took their moments but I’m extremely proud to be head coach. The players didn’t let anyone down.”
So why did KR fail to claw back the seven-point deficit?
“It boiled down to moments, it was one try the difference. It wasn’t just that, we had enough time off the back of that try – they iced their moments and we didn’t.
“At half-time we wanted to be positive on how we were playing. There was hardly anything in it, but seven points on the scoreboard can feel like more in those conditions.
“We got to 7-2 and there was a chance to win that game, but we managed that part of the game badly.”
Why did Peters opt to take the two points to make it 7-2 instead of going for the try?
“They are a difficult team to score against and getting one try is easier than getting two. You score a try at 7-2 and you go in front.
“If it’s 7-0 and you get one try at 7-4 or 7-6, then you’ve still got to get two tries.”
Of course, the difference between the two sides was Bevan French’s magnificent solo try – and Peters labelled him “a freak”.
“We’ve got a system that we stick to, if you give up the inside shoulder then most often than not they result in tries.
“We had a lot of chance to make up for that but he is the player that he is. He is a freak that can do things that other players can’t.
“Wigan are still the leaders in this competition and they showed it tonight.”
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