Hull KR 10-8 Warrington Wolves - Robins reach first Super League Grand Final
Source of the image, PA Media
James Batchelor's attempt to score for Hull KR marked his first since April.
Hull KR scored a total of 10 points.
Attempts: Batchelor, Burgess Goal Scored By: Lewis
Warrington Wolves scored 0 points, while their opponents tallied 8.
Hull KR made it to their first Super League Grand Final by holding off a fierce comeback from the Warrington Wolves at a lively Craven Park.
A try from James Batchelor and a disputed finish by Joe Burgess gave the home team a 10-0 lead on a significant night for a squad that has undergone a remarkable transformation under head coach Willie Peters in recent years.
Matty Ashton showcased his skills with two expertly executed tries in the second half, reigniting Sam Burgess' Wolves' hopes of making it to a second important final this season. They previously reached the Challenge Cup final in June but fell short against Wigan.
In a thrilling conclusion, Hull KR's defense held strong against a relentless attack from Warrington, who were denied two late tries and narrowly missed out in the first play-off semi-final.
They will face the victor of the other semifinal match on Saturday, which features the reigning champions, Wigan Warriors, against Leigh Leopards, in the Grand Final on October 12.
The Robins secured a week off and a spot in the semi-finals at home by finishing in second place on the leaderboard. Meanwhile, the Wolves had to fight hard in a nail-biting elimination play-off against St Helens, winning in golden-point extra time to come just 80 minutes away from their first Grand Final appearance since 2018.
For a team that was dropped down to the Championship eight years ago and ended up at the bottom of the standings during the 2020 season, which was affected by Covid, their journey to Manchester for the northern hemisphere's premier rugby league event highlights just how remarkable the transformation of the Robins has been.
Matty Ashton found the back of the net 21 times during the regular Super League season while playing for Warrington.
Both teams featured a nominee for the Man of Steel award, with Mikey Lewis from Hull KR and Matt Dufty from Warrington. The two teams were only two points apart and ranked one place different in the standings after 27 regular-season matches, making the semi-final clash highly anticipated.
Batchelor opened the scoring for the home team in the 18th minute of an exciting match, skillfully managing to evade two defenders before reaching out to score.
Warrington bounced back after facing a setback and had a Dufty try disallowed for obstruction midway through the first half. Shortly after, they found themselves falling further behind under disputable conditions.
Referee Liam Moore decided that Burgess successfully scored after falling over from a short distance. Although the play was reviewed by the television match official, there wasn't enough clear video evidence to change the referee's decision on the field.
Ashton kicked off the second half perfectly for Warrington by crashing the ball over the line for the Wolves' first try in the 46th minute. He ignited the initial offensive play with an impressive break and sprint.
The energetic winger brought Wolves closer to the hosts, reducing the gap to just two points. He received a pass from Dufty on the left side and managed to score in the corner.
Josh Thewlis wasn't able to make any of the conversions, leaving the away team trailing with 20 minutes to go. However, Ashton's 24th and 25th tries of the Super League season set the stage for a thrilling and, at times, hectic conclusion to the match.
Hull KR's defense put in a tremendous effort to prevent the Wolves from stealing a win. However, they had two opportunities slip away: a try by Thewlis was disallowed due to a forward pass from Rodrick Tai, and a late score by Toby King didn't count because Dufty knocked the ball on just before King picked it up and sprinted over the line.
"Reaction To 'Job Not Done'"
Hull KR's head coach, Willie Peters, spoke to BBC Humberside.
I feel a deep sense of pride for the players, the staff, and everyone who has contributed. It’s taken a tremendous amount of effort to reach this point.
"As you witnessed this evening, the players put in a tremendous effort to maintain the lead they achieved."
The only thing that set us apart was our ability to kick goals; the match was quite balanced overall. We really had to struggle and push ourselves, especially during a moment when I felt like we might lose our grip on the game.
"We haven’t finished our work yet, but we will take a moment to celebrate this victory. It’s important to appreciate being in the Grand Finals, as they don’t happen very often. However, we still have one more game to play, and our goal is to win that championship."
Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess spoke with BBC Radio Merseyside:
"I'm really let down by our loss; we came here with the intention of winning."
We displayed a lot of enthusiasm, something I was confident we would do. I anticipated that the beginning would be challenging since our opponents were a bit more rested and we only had six days to prepare.
"I felt like we handled the situation pretty well, although I found some of the tries a bit questionable. As for the second try, the one scored by Burgess, I honestly can't say if it was a legitimate try. I'm not sure what the referee was looking at to call it a try in the first place."
It's frustrating that it was a factor in the game, but it likely wasn't the main reason we lost, so I just have to move on from it.
"We missed a few opportunities, but we have to acknowledge that Hull KR played really well. They are a strong team and have had an impressive season."
Hull KR: Evalds; Burgess, Hiku, Broadbent, Hall; May, Lewis; Sue, Parcell, Whitbread, Storton, Batchelor, Hadley.
Interchanges: Litten, Luckley, Tanginoa, and Brown.
Warrington Wolves: Dufty; Thewlis, Tai, King, Ashton; Williams, Drinkwater; Yates, Walker, Harrison, Bateman, Nicholson, Currie.
Swaps: Powell, Crowther, Vaughan, Philbin.
