Baptism of fire will benefit KR’S Lewis
It was a case of short-term pain for long-term gain for Hull KR in 2020, or at least that’s what Tony Smith is hoping. Rovers won only three Super League games all year but their injury issues and a packed schedule after the restart created opportunities for the club’s younger players.
After going into the season with one first-team appearance to his name, Mikey Lewis ended it with a much greater understanding of what toplevel rugby is all about.
The young half-back played eight times in 2020 and experienced the highs and lows of professional sport, from being named man of the match against St Helens and Salford Red Devils to struggling defensively in other outings.
“It was a great experience for him, a great experience,” Smith told the Mail.
“It was a great opportunity for him to get out there and do some good stuff, and also learn from some stuff as well. He’s a great kid like that.
“It was a baptism of fire for him at different stages and he got thrown in at the deep end on a few occasions but he’s a goer and he learns.
“He goes away and looks at how he can improve all the time. It was a really good opportunity for him.
“He had some really good passages throughout the season when his opportunities came.
At the same time he had some that weren’t so great.
“But they will all stand him in good stead, the good and the bad.
“It was good that Rowan (Milnes) got an opportunity as well. Those things will help. “Whilst it was a tough season in many respects, it was a big learning experience for all of them.”
Lewis and Milnes are two of the four recognised half-backs at Smith’s disposal this year, Jordan Abdull and Joe Keyes the others.
Local lad Lewis would be a popular choice at scrum-half but Smith has again hinted that he could go with left-field options in the halves.
“We’ve got four young blokes and an experienced bloke (Brad Takairangki) who can all fill that position,” said Smith.
“Whether it’s the local boys that get the nod or the outsiders who are part of us now, that’s all up to them.
“I’m sure all of them will get a chance to play this year and show what they can do.
“Brad can slot in there and, as I’ve mentioned before, so can Quinny (Adam Quinlan) as well. We’ve got a number of options - (Will) Dagger has played in the halves as well.
“We’ve got a number of different things that could happen over the season.
“It’s certainly a good experience for those young guys at the moment vying for a position to start the season, that’s for sure.”