Hull KR coach’s telling Championship admission on youngsters ahead of senior debuts
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters
Hull KR boss Willie Peters admits some of the club’s youngsters were deemed not good enough for the Championship earlier this season, let alone Super League.
Come Thursday night, the Robins will hand out a plethora of first-team debuts as they face Wigan Warriors at The Brick Community Stadium.
Head coach Peters has heavily rotated his squad for his side’s fourth game in 14 days, and amid a growing number of injury issues, as many as six young guns could make their first appearance for the reigning Super League champions.
In addition, Harvey Horne could make his Super League debut in their colours alongside experienced winger Lee Kershaw, who has been with Rovers since the start of 2025.
Plenty have called for KR to throw more youngsters in before now, but Peters has defended the decision not to, with some pretty harsh truths shared.
‘Clubs have access to our players, but don’t take our players because they don’t feel they’re ready for the Championship’
Outside-back Noah Booth has played a handful of first-team games this year after making his debut during last season’s treble-winning campaign.
Louix Gorman meanwhile played his first game of the season last weekend, appearing off the bench in a shock home defeat to Toulouse Olympique.
But beyond that, Rovers’ youth products have not seen the light of day in Super League in 2026.
Speaking in Wednesday morning’s pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Wigan, boss Peters made no secret of the issue the club faces.
He said: “What people have got to understand is we’ve got affiliations with clubs that have access to our players, but don’t take our players because they don’t feel they’re ready for the Championship.
“How are they ready then for Super League?
“I understand the fans want to see youth, but then if you don’t win games, that’s the most important thing.
“There are players we’ve got in our squad that aren’t making Championship teams.
“Some of them are now because their squads are injury-hampered and those clubs are having to go deeper into their own squads, that’s the only way these lads (at KR) are getting opportunity.
“But then we’re saying they’re ready for first-grade… I can understand and accept if people have that opinion, but they are the facts.
“It’s important players spend time in the Championship before they become Super League players.”
KR have two competition points more on the board than seventh-placed St Helens with just three rounds of the regular season remaining, and boast a much better points difference.
Their play-off spot is not yet guaranteed though, and Peters’ side face Saints away from home in Round 27.
The Australian head coach added: “In every team, it’s probably happened where you’re forced to rotate.
“This is probably a little bit forced in the sense of playing so many together, but they’ll do their best and that’s all we can ask of them.
“They’re all legit injuries. We’re resting three players (Tom Davies, Peta Hiku and Jez Litten) that potentially could play, but we’re protecting them from soft tissue injuries.”
