Where are they now? Hull KR’s side from 2022 Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Huddersfield

May 7, 2022 saw Hull KR reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals: only to be beaten 25-4 by Huddersfield Giants at Elland Road after a subpar showing.

Trailing 12-0 at half-time in the semi-final, Tony Smith’s Robins side never recovered – and missed out on a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the final against Wigan Warriors later that month as a result.

As KR prepare to face the Giants again in the Fourth Round of the Challenge Cup this weekend, here’s a look at where the Robins side from the semi-final four years ago are today…

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Will Dagger

Dagger – who missed the conversion of KR’s only try on the day at Elland Road – departed Craven Park early on in 2023 as he joined Wakefield. Swiftly moving onto York, he remains a Knights player now but has spent most of 2026 so far on loan back in the Championship with partner club Newcastle Thunder.

Ethan Ryan

Ireland international Ryan also left KR midway through the 2023 season as he joined Salford, and having gone on to enjoy a brief stint in the Championship with Oldham last year, he’s now back in Super League with Bradford.

Ben Crooks

2022 was Crooks’ final year with the Robins. He joined Keighley after departing Craven Park but swiftly linked up with Halifax and remains with the Panthers today as their captain. Now 32, he was among the handful of players that stuck with Fax after they entered compulsory liquidation earlier this year.

Shaun Kenny-Dowall

Kiwi legend Kenny-Dowall scored KR’s only try of this semi-final. Having made the move to Craven Park ahead of 2020, he hung up his boots at the end of 2023 and then spent two years on Willie Peters’ backroom team, helping to guide them to last season’s historic treble. Now, he’s back Down Under in a coaching role with Sydney Roosters.

Ryan Hall

Veteran winger Hall spent four seasons as a Robin between 2021 and 2024, and achieved the honour of becoming Super League’s top try-scorer of all-time during his stint at Craven Park. Now 38, he remains in the top-flight back at boyhood club Leeds having returned to Headingley ahead of 2025.

Rowan Milnes

After a short loan at Wakefield earlier in the year, Milnes departed KR permanently at the end of 2023 and joined Castleford. When he returned to the Robins on loan at the back end of the 2025 campaign without every playing a game, the move was made permanent to allow him to head out on loan again to Salford, and now he’s in Super League with Bradford.

Jordan Abdull

Abdull had earned his sole England cap in 2021 as a KR player and remained at Craven Park until the end of 2024. The final year of that stint was spent on loan at Catalans though, and when the Robins let him go, he had signed with cross-city rivals Hull FC before being released without playing a game. A year away from rugby league followed, and now he’s back playing in the Championship at Widnes.

Matty Storton

Storton too signed for KR in 2020 and departed at the end of 2024, though his exit came on the back of an appearance in the Grand Final defeat to Wigan. The forward headed for then-newly-promoted Wakefield and remains a Trinity player today having penned a contract extension until the end of 2029.

Matt Parcell

Australian ace Parcell also bid farewell to KR after that Grand Final defeat in 2024, announcing his decision to retire. 12 months on though, it was confirmed that he would return to the pitch in 2026: and he has done so Down Under in the Queensland Cup with Western Clydesdales.

George King

Veteran Ireland international King is another whose stint with the Robins ran from 2020 to 2024, though he did not bow out after a Grand Final appearance having not been selected by head coach Peters at Old Trafford. He joined hometown club Huddersfield on a four-year deal ahead of the 2025 campaign and remains at the Accu Stadum today.

Dean Hadley

Hadley is one of just three players from this 17 that remain at KR today. A cult hero at Craven Park, he joined the Robins from rivals Hull FC midway through 2019 and hasn’t looked back since, forming a key part of Peters’ side last term as they won the treble. The 33-year-old is fast approaching the milestone of 150 appearances for the club.

Kane Linnett

Australia-born Scotland international Linnett joined Rovers ahead of the 2019 campaign having won an NRL title and a World Club Challenge during his time Down Under. He remained at Craven Park until the end of 2023, and took up a player-coach role with community club Sarina Crocodiles.

Elliot Minchella

England international Minchella joined KR in 2020 and is among the trio from this 17 that remain with them today. Now, of course, he is their skipper and captained them to the treble last year as well as last month’s victory over Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge. Like Hadley, he’s approaching the landmark of 150 appearances for the club.

Jez Litten (Interchange)

Rounding off the trio of current KR stars in this side is Litten, who joined the Robins midway through 2019 from rivals Hull FC alongside Hadley, and began on the bench in this semi-final at Elland Road. Four years on, he’s now among the very best hookers in Super League and is edging towards the milestone of 200 career appearances.

Korbin Sims (Interchange)

Sims, who racked up over 140 NRL appearances, rounded off his career with a two-year stint at Craven Park. The veteran Fiji international hung up his boots at the end of the 2022 campaign and returned Down Under, and took charge of community club West Arana Hills ahead of 2025.

Jimmy Keinhorst (Interchange)

A Germany international in both league and union, Keinhorst spent five seasons as a KR player between 2019 and 2023 before moving on to York. After a sole year with the Knights, the 35-year-old retired at the end of the 2024 campaign and now works as a train driver!

Greg Richards (Interchange)

A Super League Grand Final winner with St Helens back in 2014, Urswick-born Richards featured 15 times for Rovers over the course of the 2022 campaign, but was then allowed to head out on loan to Toulouse in 2023. Making his stay with Olympique permanent at the end of that year, he remained with them until joining Barrow ahead of 2026 to seal a return to Cumbria.

Head coach: Tony Smith

Former Japan, Great Britain and England boss Smith was appointed as KR’s head coach midway through the 2019 campaign and guided them to the Super League play-off semi-finals in 2021 as well as this cup semi in 2022. Sadly for him, this defeat was the second in a run of six losses in seven games to end his tenure.

The 59-year-old went on to enjoy a stint at the helm of Rovers’ rivals Hull FC between 2023 and 2024, and recently announced that he will be returning to Australia after circa 25 years in the British game!

Huddersfield Giants’ 17 from 2022 Challenge Cup semi-final victory over Hull KR

Starting 13: Tui Lolohea, Jermaine McGillvary, Leroy Cudjoe, Ricky Leutele, Innes Senior, Olly Russell, Theo Fages, Chris Hill, Danny Levi, Oliver Wilson, Josh Jones, Chris McQueen, Luke Yates

Bench: Ashton Golding, Joe Greenwood, Owen Trout, Seb Ikahihifo

Head coach: Ian Watson

Tries: Jones, McGillvary, Senior, Trout

Goals: Russell (4)

Drop goal: Fages