Hull KR coach lifts lid on emotional exit meeting as NRL move revealed to players

Hull KR boss Willie Peters admits an already emotional meeting which saw him tell his squad about his end-of-season departure was made more difficult by what they have achieved together.

Peters arrived at Craven Park ahead of the 2023 campaign to take on his first-ever head coach role at senior level.

A little over four years on from touching down in the UK with his young family, it was confirmed earlier this week that he would be departing come the end of this season to take up the hotseat at new NRL franchise PNG Chiefs.

The Australian is already the most successful coach in Rovers‘ history having ended their long trophy drought in style last season, clinching the treble, before going on to mastermind a victory against NRL kings Brisbane Broncos in last month’s World Club Challenge.

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‘We’re all close and to do what we did last year, it builds stronger connections… we’re going to have friends for life in East Hull’

Peters’ exit from KR was officially announced last Sunday, and it was only earlier this week that his move to the Chiefs was rubber-stamped.

It was last Thursday that the 47-year-old had to sit his Robins squad down and break the news to them, with that meeting as emotionally draining as you may expect.

Peters detailed: “It was really difficult. Because there was some media in and around it, anyone that spoke to me directly, I let them know my thoughts and what I wanted to do or what was in the pipeline.

“But as a group, I didn’t really have any information to give. Once I had that information, I certainly wasn’t going to hold that back from our players, the board and our CEO.

“I had conversations with Paul (Lakin) and then spoke to the team. It was obviously emotional. An emotional meeting with me letting them know what I was looking at doing, because we’ve built a family environment here.

“We’re all close and to do what we did last year, it builds stronger connections and stronger relationships. Now, at the end of the year when we do move on, we’re going to have friends for life in East Hull.”

The Robins have endured a rough start to the 2026 campaign in Super League, but blocked out the external noise to thump St Helens 52-10 on home soil last Friday night, a little over 24 hours from the squad learning of Peters’ impending departure.

This week, they have the Good Friday derby against cross-city rivals to look forward to, and Peters said: “It wasn’t easy to let the players know, but it gave them clarity and gave us all clarity.

“Our aim now is to make sure we give this season everything it deserves, so the players did that last Friday night.

“I want to pay credit to them because it was a difficult week and the resilience they showed, I’m extremely proud of.

“It could have gone the other way, but they went back to being Hull KR, and that’s what I’m proud of.”