Latest news with #WilliePeters
The Sun
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Elliot Minchella reveals how talking can help end Hull KR's cup drought
ELLIOT Minchella believes putting mind over matter can propel Hull KR to their first major trophy in 40 years, and the help of an 'auntie.' The Rovers skipper has become a huge part of their push for silverware, in both Challenge Cup and Super League. 3 Willie Peters' table-toppers tomorrow go for what may be the first leg of a double and getting their hands on the trophy for the first time since 1980. While arms, legs and body throw and kick the ball as they look to cut through Warrington, much of what goes on is in the mind. And Minchella believes the way his boss has brought the concept of mindfulness into his side is paying dividends, big time. After lying on a Tenerife beach staring at the stars when it was first introduced, some players now write journals while the loose forward believes it is good to talk. But he admitted: 'To be honest, a few of us to start with were like, 'What's this? Never heard of this before.' 'As men and professionals, you stick to what you know and when someone challenges you or comes up with a new thing, it's very easy to say, 'I'm not going to do that because that's not what I normally do.' 'But you brush your ego aside and say, 'Do you know what? I'll jump into this and try something,' and it really works. It really works for me as an individual and I know the boys think the same. 'You can take it as deep as you like and it's about manifesting what you're about to do, thinking about it, being grateful for where you're at. That comes in different forms. You can journal, you can speak out loud, you can think. 'I like to talk to people. I like to sit and talk and get stuff off my chest, stuff in the universe, I guess, and talk to people. 'That's not making predictions but being grateful for what I've got. We have tough days, but these aren't really tough days. Tough days when you're on the tools and you're grafting. Doing this is a privilege.' Hull KR are favourites for Wembley glory tomorrow (Sat). If it happens, you can bet Minchella, 29, will be making plenty of noise. But while he would be happy to talk all about success, it would be built on what he speaks about to Rovers' player welfare manager Sue Thompson. 3 And what she sometimes says to him. He added: 'I call her Auntie Sue, so she really is a family member to me. 'I speak to her weekly, just get stuff off my chest, or even just have a coffee with her and just have a chat. 'It just makes big problems you think you've got in your mind, they're really just small ones and Sue puts stuff into perspective. 'I'm really honest with her and she's really honest with me, which is what I value from Sue. 'No-one wants to talk to someone who just tells you what you want to hear. Sue's great because she doesn't pull any punches. 'She's very abrupt sometimes, but she's got to know me, I've known her for six years now, so she knows how I take things and what I need to hear sometimes. 3 'Equally, some of the other players probably need a little bit more of an arm around them, or a bit of a motherly figure. 'It just makes us, with all our worries, just concentrate on the game, what happens on the field and she's in every day. 'If I say, 'I'm nervous,' she'd put me right. I'd have that conversation with her.' Minchella hopes to be the first Hull KR captain in four decades to lift a trophy – if that happens, he will inflict misery on a fella he used to idolise as a Bradford fan, Warrington coach Sam Burgess. He told SunSport: 'He's probably one of the best forwards ever in the game. His name itself just says it all. Whatever I say wouldn't do him justice. 'He had the instinct to be able to beat a defender, but then he could run over someone. He did everything, he had everything. 'I have massive respect for him, as a player but now as a coach as well.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'If Hull KR are seen as favourites, we embrace it'
Betfred Men's Challenge Cup final - Hull KR v Warrington WolvesVenue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Saturday, 7 June Kick-off: 15:00 BST Coverage: Live on BBC One from 14:00 BST; radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Radio Humberside & BBC Radio Merseyside; live text on BBC Sport website & app Not since the days of Gavin Miller, Gary Prohm and George Fairburn have Hull KR been such the talk of rugby not since those days have the Robins lifted a major is fitting then that 40 years on from the title-winning side of 1984-85 the class of 2025 have put the buzz back into East Hull and can shatter that trophy all starts with Saturday's Challenge Cup final against Warrington Wolves, with Hull KR no longer the underdogs given their remarkable ascent under Willie one league defeat, by champions Wigan, lightly blemishes the Rovers record in all competitions this season, and thus all signs point to red and white glory at is far more cautious, but wants the team to meet expectations head-on."Now we're in a position where people are saying we're favourites, we need to embrace that," Peters told BBC Radio 5 live."We've put ourselves in a position to be called the favourites although I still think it's a 50-50 game because they're a very good team."It's going to be a tight game there's no doubt, we just need to win more moments than we lose and that normally determines whoever wins." Disappointment to be learned from Following on from those 1980s stars like Miller, Prohm, Fairburn and others such as Mark Broadhurst, Mike Smith and David Watkinson, the current crop are equally well-stocked for enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves brings the fear factor of a Broadhurst, captain Elliot Minchella captures the swashbuckling ball-handling of former Man of Steel Miller, and semi-final hero Jack Broadbent will be doing the Fairburn job from full-back with Arthur Mourgue the headline act these days is Mikey Lewis - a homegrown dynamo and the reigning Man of will have taken heart from the way these Robins have managed the excitement of reaching Wembley and continued their relentless form in Super League on the back of beating Catalans Dragons in their York the run to Wembley included the intensity of a quarter-final against neighbours Hull FC, added to a league derby against their rivals which were both negotiated smoothly amidst a run of tricky Warrington at times failing to match their cup highs in league matches given their lying eighth in the table, the league leaders could be forgiven for feeling the weight of expectation in Saturday's is a different scenario from their 2023 experience when Rovers and Leigh were considered equal odds before the Leopards triumphed in Golden Point, and last year's Grand Final when holders Wigan were hotly-tipped to take the prize, and did."I don't think it [form] does bring pressure, it should give the players a lot of belief knowing that we've had a lot of challenges in different situations this year," Peters added."We've had different scenarios this year which would have put us under the pump if we'd allowed it to, but we didn't and I'm proud of the players for that."You are going to go through setbacks and you need to experience adversity to grow, that's what they've done." Rovers players unaffected by fan jibes Few fans are as aware of Hull KR's trophy starvation than those of their fiercest rivals Hull FC, who unsurprisingly have a terrace ditty dedicated to it happens, the other side of Hull had their moment in 2016, when they brought to an end jibes from Robins fans about their inability to win at Wembley with victory, coincidentally, against the players have enough to concern themselves with on the day aside from unwanted history, the chance to give the fans some respite and quash the chant for good could be a spark somewhere for those involved on Saturday."We don't speak about it and mention but we're aware of it because it is mentioned elsewhere," back-rower James Batchelor told BBC Sport."The motivation we get is a lot of little things from wherever and when that's something that is used against the fans you definitely want to be able to help them shed that tag - but it's not something we speak about or get dragged into." Batchelor has seen brother Joe win the cup with St Helens, and his sibling will hope he can return the favour when he takes his seat at Wembley along with other members of the has also been there with his football team Huddersfield Town, witnessing the delirious joy of promotion and the haunting sorrow of play-off defeat in equal 2025, it will be with his other family, a close-knit Hull KR team that he takes to the field with and experiences what he hopes will be more happy memories and the chance to emulate Joe in the winner's circle."This group feels on another level, when Willie first came in at the same time as me it was all about connecting, caring about each other and being best mates off the field," Batchelor added."We roll up to grounds with the music on and we're pretty happy and relaxed because we do that all week as well."Willie makes sure we have the music around the club through the week on training days and try to make the build up to the games feel almost like that for training. We're nice and relaxed and don't get uptight with it. It's definitely working for us." Robins focus inwardly for final Among the many subplots going into the final is the coming together of two old friends in Peters and opposite number Sam Burgess who know each other from time at Australian NRL side South Sydney who describes the "big fella" as '"competitive" in his own style, has his game-plan set to get the better of Warrington, and yet is wary of the threat they will pose."We always focus on us but we'll do a thorough preview," Peters added."We've planned they'll have the majority of their players back in the side who haven't been playing, George Williams being back."But it doesn't matter, whatever turns up on the teamsheet on that day we'll have a plan but it's in and around what we do, we've a mentality of they've got to stop us, this our plan and what we're going to deliver and we make sure we get that on Saturday."Hull KR have delivered on everything Peters has hoped for so far apart from a trophy, and Saturday can finally see that mission has put everything in place to ensure it, now his players must match their past performances and create new history.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Willie Peters hopes to end Hull KR's wait for trophy after ‘adversity' of past
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters is no stranger to hard choices and believes his willingness to embrace adversity has helped equip him for the task of ending a 40-year wait for a trophy at Craven Park in Saturday's Betfred Challenge Cup final. Peters was just 20 years old when he made the decision to jet halfway around the world in 1999 to escape the suffocating expectations of Australia's NRL and link up with Gateshead Thunder for their first and only top-tier campaign. Just seven years later, and after a brief spell at Wigan that included an appearance in the 2000 Grand Final defeat to St Helens, Peters was forced to admit defeat in his battle against persistent hamstring injuries, and retired as a player at the age of just 26. Peters' subsequent trajectory as a coach, having started in the sponsorship department of South Sydney Rabbitohs, is somewhat mirrored by the rise of Rovers, who had been languishing in administration in the Northern Ford Premiership in the same year that he made his Super League bow. Welded together since 2023, when he replaced the departed Tony Smith in the east Hull hot-seat, Peters and Rovers have forged a formidable partnership, rising to the top of Super League on the back of last season's Grand Final defeat to Wigan, and setting up another chance to end almost half a century of hurt when they face Warrington this weekend. 'I was forced to finish at 26 and I probably didn't have the playing career I wanted to have,' conceded Peters. 'There were lots of regrets there, but I took my time to be grateful for what I did, playing first grade in the NRL and Super League. 'I think that's probably helped me as a coach, being able to talk to the players about gratitude and what it looks like. There's no doubt when you go through adversity and you see someone else who is hurting or vulnerable, you can help others.' Still a relative unknown when he arrived at Craven Park in 2023, Peters had began harbouring hopes of making it as a top-level coach even before he had been forced to come to terms with the fact that his playing days were over. Having spent six years as an assistant in the NRL, Peters' first number one role brought almost immediate success, as Rovers confounded most expectations by finishing fourth and reaching the Challenge Cup final, which they lost in heart-breaking fashion on golden point to Leigh. 'Life has a funny way of working out, and what you put into it you get back,' added Peters. 'I always wanted to get into coaching, but I probably got rushed into it a little bit after playing, and I wanted to start at the bottom and work my way up. 'I don't think that I didn't fulfil my potential as a player, but I had some setbacks that limited me in getting where I wanted to get to. That has put me in good stead to relate to people with injuries, and understand what these guys are going through.' A quarter of a century on from his single season in the north-east – a move Peters maintains was 'the best move I ever made' – the trajectories have switched, as Rovers reign over Super League while the remnants of the Gateshead club – now Newcastle – languish winless at the foot of League One. During his short stint in the role, which has already reportedly attracted attention back in the NRL, Peters has seen enough to resist making major chances to the pre-final process that took them to within a drop goal of snatching long-awaited silverware in 2023. 'After the game last time when we reflected there wasn't a great deal we would have changed,' added Peters. 'It's just making sure we control those things we can control. We've learned a lot from last year and the year before. It is going to be whoever turns up on the day.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Warrington captain George Williams declares himself fit for Challenge Cup final
Warrington captain George Williams has declared himself fit for Saturday's Betfred Challenge Cup final against Hull KR at Wembley. The 30-year-old has been on a fast-track to recovery since he suffered an ankle injury in early April that required surgery. With Matty Ashton and Danny Walker already sidelined, the return of Williams will be a huge boost to Warrington's hopes of erasing the memory of last year's final loss to Wigan. Williams said: 'When you get the injury it's an eight to 10 week lay-off and it'll be seven weeks and two days post-op. So it's really not miles faster. 'But it's been easy for me because I've done everything I can, because the goal was always to play at Wembley. 'I could have played last week but it was a bit of a risk and we were always chasing this week.' Meanwhile Rovers also hope for welcome news on the injury front with hooker Michael McIlorum set to be named in Willie Peters' final squad. Like Williams, McIlorum also required surgery on a bicep injury he sustained in April, and it was initially feared he would be ruled out for three months. But the 37-year-old has made good progress in training and Peters is cautiously optimistic that he can play some part in the Robins' bid to end their 40-year trophy drought. Peters said: 'He'll be named, but the odds of him playing, I'm not sure yet. He's got to get through some things. 'The thing with Mickey is he's built differently. It should still be a while really, so that's why we've got to look at the pros and cons and weigh it all up. 'There's obviously risk and a lot of factors are involved. Mickey will make a decision, and I'll take his word if he can take to the field.'
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Hull KR and Leeds to clash in Las Vegas as Super League's American adventure continues
Challenge Cup finalists Hull KR will head to Las Vegas next season to play Leeds as Super League returns to the United States. Following on from this year's success, when Wigan and Warrington played in the inaugural fixture, the pair will be part of the NRL 's international expansion event at the Allegiant Stadium. "Sport is about creating memories and moments that last a lifetime. This is one of those moments," said Hull KR chief executive Paul Lakin. "To play in Las Vegas, in front of a worldwide audience and on one of sport's biggest stages, is something the players, staff and fans will never forget. "The opportunity to showcase Hull KR on the world stage in Las Vegas is a monumental step forward for the club." Hull KR head coach Willie Peters, whose side have been designated the home team, said it was a measure of the club's progress. "I think it's a great indication of where the club is at and how far we've come, on and off the field, by being one of the team's selected to represent the English game in Las Vegas," he said. The 2025 Las Vegas event reached 3.1billion online impressions and Leeds Rhinos ' commercial director Rob Oates said: "Everyone here in Super League was blown away by the impact that Wigan and Warrington made earlier in the year and the challenge now is to make it even bigger and better in '26." Rhodri Jones, managing director of RL Commercial, added: "Super League's first Las Vegas fixture delivered a huge spike in profile and glamour for the whole competition. "It was vital that the two clubs to follow the trail blazed by the Warriors and the Wolves next year would be equally strong representatives of the Betfred Super League and the sport of rugby league, and we are confident in the ability of Hull KR and Leeds Rhinos to achieve that." PA
