Hull KR 2025 season review
- Overview
- Highs
- Lows
- 2025 RLB Player of the Year – Elliot Minchella
- Reasons to be positive in 2026
- My 2025 prediction – 3rd
- Final 2025 position – 1st (+2) (Champions)
Overview
2025 will go down as the greatest season in Hull KR’s history. The Robins won all three trophies available, sweeping aside anyone who stood in their way.
The League Leaders’ Shield was the first time they’d topped the table since 1985, their Challenge Cup victory was a first since 1980, and their Grand Final success was their first ever in Super League.
2024 Man of Steel Mikey Lewis led the team around the park brilliantly, while veterans Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Michael McIlorum were shrewd additions to the Robins’ pack.
And of course, the whole thing was led by coach Willie Peters, who has etched himself into Hull KR folklore and will surely have NRL clubs knocking on his door before too long.
Highs
There are almost too many to mention. In the Challenge Cup Final, a dramatic late try from Tom Daviews was enough to break Warrington’s hearts and claim an 8-6 victory. In Super League, their 10-6 win at Wigan in Round 22 effectively clinched the League Leaders’ Shield. Then at Old Trafford, they were simply unstoppable, as they beat the Warriors again, 24-6.
They lost just five times in 34 games, had the strongest defence in Super League, the second-strongest attack, and four players in the Dream Team.
An 11-game winning run between mid-April and early July set them up for success, and despite some minor blips after that, the Robins looked the strongest side throughout the entire campaign.
Lows
I’m just clutching at straws here to be honest, as low points were pretty few and far between.
When Rovers’ 11-game winning run ended in a home defeat to Leeds, most fans thought they’d bounce straight back, but it was followed by a 28-10 loss at Leigh.
There were a couple more surprise losses later in the campaign – to Wakefield, then Leeds again – but nothing was going to derail the Robins’ relentless charge towards the treble.
Injury-wise, the likes of Oliver Gildart, Rhyse Martin and Michael McIlorum all missed large chunks of the season, but to a man, Rovers were outstanding, and when they did return later in the year, they didn’t skip a beat.
2025 RLB Player of the Year – Elliot Minchella
Hull KR’s captain led by example, as he featured in all but one game and made 943 tackles and ran for over 1500 metres. It would be unjust to measure his impact on stats alone though, as he led from the front in an historic season.
Reasons to be positive in 2026
Apart from the obvious of heading into the season with three trophies to defend, the Robins also have a World Club Challenge and Las Vegas to look forward to.
Brisbane Broncos will be heading to Hull for the WCC, then a week later Rovers will be taking on Leeds Rhinos in the entertainment capital of the world.
Those two games will be a pair of ‘pinch me’ moments for Robins fans, and as defending champions, they’ll head into 2026 as favourites to retain their Super League crown.
My 2025 prediction – 3rd
Final 2025 position – 1st (+2) (Champions)
I expected the Robins to be there or thereabouts again in 2025, but I honestly didn’t expect them to topple Wigan, let alone claim all three trophies. All credit to them, they were outstanding this year, and everyone will be looking to knock them off their perch in 2026.
