Hull KR’s Wembley 18th man confirms playing plans after Challenge Cup glory

Eribe Doro has revealed he will be handed an opportunity to impress against Catalans Dragons after enjoying the glory of Hull KR’s Challenge Cup triumph in his role as the 18th man at Wembley.

Powerful forward Doro is among the brightest youngsters in Super League, and KR boss Willie Peters has spoken often this term about wanting to hand him more minutes at first-team level.

The 24-year-old, who joined the Robins on a two-year deal ahead of 2025, made his debut in the Fourth Round of the Challenge Cup at Craven Park in March as KR swept aside hometown club Oldham in a 40-0 success.

He’s since gone on to feature twice in Super League, and on Saturday, was on the team sheet as the 18th man for KR’s Challenge Cup final against former club Warrington Wolves.

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Eribe Doro: ‘Come the Grand Final, my aim is to try and be in that starting 17’

Doro didn’t manage to get on the field in the capital, but lived every second of it as Mikey Lewis’ late conversion following Tom Davies’ try earned KR an 8-6 win, and with it, a first major honour in 40 years for the East Hull natives.

Speaking to LoveRugbyLeague post-match, he said: “I didn’t get on the field, but I take that as my first major trophy.

“It takes a squad to win anything, and the way the boys turn up every day who didn’t get on the field today, there’s a saying that steel sharpens steel.

“That’s what we’ve got with this squad. We’ve got good players everywhere, and there are many players that could have taken to the field today.

“Every week, whoever takes the field knows that they’ve been prepped the right way, and there’s plenty of boys that have helped them prep.

“I’m going to get another opportunity next week, and the way I take it, every chance I get is a chance for me to cement my place in the team.

“Come the Grand Final, my aim is to try and be in that starting 17. I’ll take every opportunity I get and do my best to try and keep my spot.”

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‘We set out at the start of the year to win trophies, so I fully believe this is the first of many’

Doro – who enjoyed a loan stint back in the Championship at Bradford Bulls earlier this year – has 75 senior appearances on his CV in total, including his three so far this term for KR.

Confidence, understandably, is at an all-time high in East Hull following the Robins’ cup triumph. And the forward isn’t ready to stop riding that wave any time soon.

He continued: “It was a big occasion, we treated it as one and I think that paid us dividends in the way we performed.

“I spoke to one of our owners in there (the dressing room) who said, ‘thank you for everything you’ve done’.

“I told him I had no doubt we’d be here again and that we’d be there (in the Grand Final) come the end of the year.

“We’re a confident group and we set out at the start of the year to win trophies, so I fully believe this is the first of many.”

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