You could taste the expectation at Craven Park as the Hull KR
faithful crammed into the stadium, the ‘House Full’ notices raised again, as
they sought the victory over the Warrington Wolves which would see them lift
the league leaders trophy for the first time since the start of summer rugby.
A win or a draw would see them lift the league leaders
shield and go into the end of season play-off series in top spot and as
favourites for the treble, a loss would leave the door open for Wigan to nip in
at the last minute and snatch their crown and leave the Robins season in
disarray.
The bookies could only see one outcome, handing the hapless
Warrington a thirty-four-point start on the coupon, only the most fanatical of
away supporters could entertain the thought of denying KR.
A Marc Sneyd chip to the corner was collected by Josh
Thewlis under very little pressure from the Hull HR defence to walk in for a
simple opening try. Sneyd added the
conversion for a surprise 6-0 lead on seven minutes.
A second Warrington try inside two minutes was ruled out by
the video referee for an obstruction, but in the early stages KR were not at
the races.
As the game edged towards quarter time, KR started to finally
get a foothold.
On twenty-two the Robins finally found a way through. Tyrone
May with the smallest of dummies before going through a gap and running in on
the angle. Rhyse Martin added the extra two to level the scores.
The Robins took the lead on thirty-two, Noah Booth the man
on the overlap left to take the pass and go over in the corner after great work
from the home side in keeping the ball alive. Martin was just wide with the
conversion attempt, KR starting to relax a little.
Seconds before the interval Booth got his second in eight
minutes after taking an Oliver Gildart pass to again take advantage of the
overlap. This time Martin found the target and after being under the cosh for
the opening twenty they took a ten-point lead into the interval.
Arthur Mourge had a try ruled out on forty-four for a
double-movement, six minutes later Sam Stone collected a pinpoint Ewan Irwin
grubber to spin over the line and grab Warrington’s second. Sneyd was wide with
the conversion attempt, the Wolves still six adrift.
Within five minutes the Wolves were in again, Adam Holroyd busting
a tackle and diving in under the sticks.
When Sneyd kicked the goal, the sides were tied up again at 16-16. KR
were now in a real fight for their shield.
A Mikey Lewis knock-on gifted the ball to Warrington inside
the red zone. On the first play a brilliant pass from matt Dufty allowed Josh
Thewlis to summersault over the line to again edge the Wolves into the lead.
Sneyd was wide again with the conversion, the Wolves lead a slender four
points.
On sixty-seven Mourgue became the hero of the night for KR
when he stepped out of two tackles deep inside his own half twenty before
sprinting eighty metres to the Warrington line to score under the sticks. Martin kicked the all-important conversion to
put the Robins back into a two-point lead with just over ten minutes remaining.
Mikey Lewis was taken out by Danny Walker after he put in a
grubber kick but rather than take the two the home side elected to run the
ball. On the second tackle Tyrone May went through the line and dived over by
the left upright to score the try that secured the league leaders trophy.
Martin added the extras for an eight-point win.
After a blip last week, the Robins finally got over the line
to secure their first table topping season for over forty years. They had to do
it the hard way against a youthful Warrington side who ripped up the form book
and really made the Robins fight for the win. Twice behind, Hull KR showed the
mettle and gumption to grind out the win in front of their adoring fans and
they now get a week off before a home play-off semi-final with their hearts set
on Old Trafford and the treble.
Hull KR: Mourgue (T), Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Booth (2T),
Lewis, May (2T), Sue, Litten, Warea-Hargreaves, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella.
Subs: Luckley, Whitbread, Martin (G 4/5), Broadbent. 18th Man: Tanginoa.
Warrington Wolves: Taylor-Wray, Thewlis Josh (2T), King,
Dufty, Thewlis Jake, Irwin (T), Sneyd (G 2/3), Philbin, Walker, Thomas, Stone,
Holroyd (T), Matterson. Subs: Powell,
Green, Wood, McKinney. 18th Man: Hartill.
Half-Time: 16-6.
Full-Time: 28-20.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 10-6, 14-6, 16-6 : HT:
16-10, 16-14, 16-16, 16-20, 20-20, 22-20, 26-20, 28-20 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Warrington – Square – Hull KR – Square –
Warrington – Square – Hull KR.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
