Hull KR boss Willie Peters delivers verdict on debut season: ‘It was good but the challenge now is to be great at that level’
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters
Willie Peters has enjoyed a ‘wonderful’ debut season as Hull KR coach – but he wants to see his side go from ‘good’ to ‘great’ in 2024.
The Robins bowed out of the Super League semi-finals on Saturday afternoon after losing 42-12 to Wigan at the DW Stadium, with the Warriors facing Catalans Dragons in the Grand Final next Saturday.
2023 has been an impressive debut campaign for coach Peters at Craven Park, reaching the Challenge Cup final at Wembley and the Super League semi-finals.
The Robins also finished fourth in the Super League table after the regular season – their joint highest finish in a regular season to go with their 2009 campaign.
“It’s been a wonderful journey hasn’t it?” Peters said in his post-match press conference after their defeat at Wigan.
“Not the way we wanted it to end, we didn’t start well in both halves which hurt us and we had no momentum in that game which is disappointing but, overall, I’m extremely proud of the whole club – the players and staff – for what we’ve achieved this year.
“In saying that, we’ve come a long way but we’re not where we want to be. We want to be playing in those major games.”
Hull KR striving to get to the level of Wigan and St Helens, says Willie Peters
Peters is pleased with how the overall 2023 campaign has unfolded for the Robins – but says he wants his side to kick on to match the competition’s benchmark in 2024.
“It is a good first season but what we want to do is be great, that’s what we’re striving to do,” Peters added.
“It was a good first season – there’s no question about that – but the challenge for us now is to go on to being great at that level with Wigan and St Helens. Teams like them they seem to be doing it most years and that’s what we’re striving to do.
“We’ll get our learnings again like we did from the Challenge Cup, take it into our pre-season and it’ll make us hungrier.”