Hull KR head coach Willie Peters is drawing on a painful experience from his past as he prepares his team for their Challenge Cup clash against Oldham.
Peters recalls a humiliating 28-0 pre-season defeat to Featherstone Rovers in 2023, where his team was comprehensively beaten. He admits that the loss taught him a valuable lesson about not taking teams lightly and the level of competition in the Championship.
“I learnt a lot from that game, not around not taking teams lightly but the level of the Championship and what it’s about,” Peters said. “Also how we approached the game and how certain individuals approached it.”
However, opponents are mocking Hull KR, saying “history will repeat itself” ahead of the match, referencing the team’s past struggles against lower-league teams in the Challenge Cup.
Peters has done his homework on Oldham, who have had a mixed start to the season. He knows that his team will need to be at their best to overcome the Challenge Cup tie.
“We’ve done a normal preview, the same as we would with any opposition,” Peters said. “They’ve had a number of wins this year. Their first defeat was last weekend when they rested a few players.”
Peters is taking a strong team into the game, despite the absence of Dean Hadley and Rhyse Martin. He is confident that his team can overcome Oldham and take another step towards Wembley.
“We want to go after any competition and pay respect to any trophy that’s available,” Peters said. “We’ve been close in the Challenge Cup once before and it’d be nice to go one better.”