Hull KR have never stood a better chance of shattering their 40-year trophy drought but head coach Willie Peters will not deviate from due process ahead of his side’s Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final clash with Catalans Dragons.
Rovers head into their fourth consecutive last-four appearance in the competition sitting pretty on top of Super League and bouncing out of a 54-0 Magic Weekend shutout of hapless Salford.
But despite also being backed by over 90 per cent of the sold-out 8,500 crowd at York’s LNER Stadium, Peters insists it is too soon to entertain the prospect of their first piece of silverware since the 1985 Premiership title.
“It’s difficult to win trophies and we’re aware of that,” said Peters, who expects to be able to welcome back Tom Davies, Joe Burgess and Kelepi Tanginoa, all of whom missed the trip to Newcastle.
“Hopefully this year we’ll get a trophy but it’s difficult to be in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, and then it’s difficult to go on to Wembley and win the trophy.
“We’re on a journey still, and what we’re doing every day when we come in to work is about improving. If we do that then we will put ourselves in a position to win.
“If you start thinking about trophies and the end results, that’s when you lock up. We’ve always been about process, and if you get that right, then in the end most of the trophies will come.”
Rovers will start as heavy favourites against Steve McNamara’s Catalans side, whose recent revival was ended by last week’s Magic Weekend loss to Leigh, and will be without experienced full-back Sam Tomkins due to injury.
And victory could well set up a second Wembley clash in three years against the Leopards, who face Warrington in the second semi-final on Sunday, and who famously clinched the 2023 crown with Lachlan Lam’s golden point drop-goal.
“Wembley is a great experience but the outcome (in 2023) wasn’t great,” added Peters.
“It’s something the players who haven’t done it obviously want to be a part of. But our narrow focus is on Catalans this week.
“We’re looking at it as a home game in terms of having 90 per cent of the supporters there. That makes it a home ground advantage really, so we need to make sure we make the most of that.”
Leigh head into Sunday’s clash with last year’s beaten finalists Warrington on the back of a five-match winning run in all competitions.
Like Rovers, both clubs will head into Sunday with significant injury problems, with the Leopards welcoming back classy full-back David Armstrong, while half-back Marc Sneyd is expected to return for Warrington after surgery on a fractured eye socket.
Reflecting their famous 2023 triumph, Leigh boss Adrian Lam said: “It’s obviously a highlight of the club in recent times, just seeing the town and how they responded to it, and the open-top bus the day after are memories we will have for ever.
“But this is a new group and for the journey this group is on, there is a lot to look forward to and achieve, and there is no bigger game than this semi-final first.”
