Who are the stand-outs of KR’S season?
SOME STARS HAVE SHONE SO FAR IN 2022, BUT OTHERS MUST DO FAR BETTER FOR ROVERS TO REALLY FLOURISH
Many things have happened on and off the field at Craven Park since the round one defeat to Wigan. With round 12 on the horizon, the Mail rates the Rovers players who have featured in four or more games in 2022.
Lachlan Coote:
The fullback is KR’S main attacking threat and has shown his class.
However, niggling injuries have kept him from consistently featuring. The former Saints man will be hoping for an injuryfree run into the end of the year. 7
Ben Crooks: Has become a consistent performer since joining at the back end of 2018. The outside back is guilty of being caught out in defence and coming up with several costly errors in 2022, which he needs to eradicate if he wants to extend his stay at the club beyond this year. 4
Brad Takairangi: His start to the season couldn’t have gone any worse. He was stood down until his court case and after being given a suspended jail sentence he hasn’t featured for the first team since and is too much of a wealthy asset just to sit on the sidelines. 2
Shaun Kenny-dowall: The skipper has carried his 2021 form into 2022. Although KR’S left-hand side hasn’t been as potent as last year, Kenny-dowall earns his captaincy every time he takes the field. His dedication to the cause and love for the club shows in each outing, with most supporters hoping to see SKD go around for one more year. 6
Ryan Hall: The experienced winger has been Rovers’ star man in 2022. He is the club’s top try-scorer with nine, but his yardage out of bad ball and confidence under the high ball has stood out this year. Although he lacks the pace of Ryan Hall 10 years ago, he is still performing to the highest level with 1475m and 14 clean breaks. 8
Jordan Abdull: After a fantastic 2021, which resulted in Abdull representing England in France, the halfback has struggled to produce similar performances this year. Abdull has become too predictable with his kicking game and early ball release in attack. If he can bring his running game and slick hands close to the line back into the fold, Abdull and his side will be in a much better position to compete in every outing. 5
Albert Vete: The Tongan has found Super League life challenging. Vete has picked up several injuries and is only featuring for a limited time when on the pitch. He is serving a two-match suspension for a high shot in the defeat to Leeds. 3
Matt Parcell: The dynamic hooker is one of Rovers’ key danger men and can toe-to-toe with the best dummy-halves in the league. His partnership with Jez Litten has become integral to the way KR play. Although rumoured to be leaving at the end of 2022 to return home to Australia, recent speculation states he would be willing to stay in the UK. If so, Rovers need to tie down Parcell on a long-term deal. 7
George King: Never lets his teammates down. A no-nonsense prop who does the groundwork nobody else sees. Rovers look fragile down the middle when King is replaced after his first stint, and will be hoping new boss Willie Peters can bring in some similar players for 2023. 7
Dean Hadley: His passion for the club is easy to see in his displays. Hadley always puts his body on the line for his teammates. Although he’s suffered a slow start to 2022, his presence is well worth an extension on his contract. 5
Kane Linnett: Consistency has become his biggest strength during his four years at the club, and he has seen his efforts rewarded with an extension till the end of 2023. Now, the big concern is how he will recover from his recent injury setback.
Linnett is in the twilight years of his career but still plays a significant role down the left in both attack and defence. 6
Matty Storton: It’s hard to believe Storton is only 23. The former Bradford man is turning into a mature middleman. If new boss Peters can bring in some workhorses to link with Storton and King, Rovers can keep the momentum down the middle throughout games. 6
Jez Litten: Although sometimes guilty of overplaying, Litten has been a standout player in 2022. Litten has been thrown on at hooker, loose forward and even stints in the middle under Tony Smith and never lets his side down. Alongside the likes of Lewis and Storton, Litten is the future of Hull KR and is developing nicely. 6
Korbin Sims: Has failed to meet expectations. His failure to win the ruck in contact and silly errors with the ball in hand have contributed to criticism from the Rovers supporters. The Fijian international has tried to make things happen but ultimately has been beaten by his opposite number more times than not. 4
Elliot Minchella: The “Italian Stallion” secured his future when he penned a new deal that would take him till the end of 2026. After suffering a torrid 2021 recovery from a nasty ACL injury, his start to 2022 has been fantastic. His performances during last month’s six-game winning streak were crucial. When Rovers are on the front foot, Minchella’s agility and contact near the line come to fruition. 6 Jimmy Keinhorst: Never lets the club down. Has featured in almost every position since 2019 but doesn’t get the game time he deserves. The definition of a utility man, Rovers must keep Jimmy at the club and use his strengths to their advantage. 5
Will Dagger: Has played second fiddle throughout his time at the club. Always gives 100 per cent but sometimes comes up second best. Dagger has let some unneeded sloppy errors creep into his game and sometimes lacks belief in himself with the ball in hand. Dagger will be hoping to learn a lot from Coote to take his game to the next level. 5
Mikey Lewis: One of the most promising players the club has produced, Lewis has the making to become a top player. His fearless approach and electric speed have contributed to his recent suc
cess. After a promising start to 2022, a cruel injury against Castleford in the cup means Lewis is out until June. Rovers will welcome the mercurial playmaker back with open arms. 7 Rowan Milnes: Has stepped in to replace the injured Lewis over the past month. Milnes ran the show against Wakefield but has flattered to deceive over the past few weeks, albeit working behind a beaten pack. There is an argument Milnes and current partner Abdull are too similar in the way they play, but both will need to step up their game. 5
Ethan Ryan: Has what Rovers are lacking, raw speed. The former Bradford winger has shown his quality but needs to see more of the ball. Ryan is a presence in the air and open play but hasn’t seen enough chances come his way due to poor execution in attack, something Smith needs to address immediately. 6
Sam Wood: After a torrid opening day performance against Wigan, Wood has gradually improved. Currently nursing a dislocated patella, he is a real threat close to the line with the stature and power to crash over in attack. On the other hand, Wood, alongside partner Crooks and Takairangi, who was his centre earlier in the year, are exposed heavily in defence. Guilty of reading the attacking play wrong and jumping in too early, Wood needs to tighten that side of his game up if he is looking to extend his stay at Craven Park. 5
Greg Richards: The prop will never set the world alight but has provided Rovers with a continuous set of steady performances off the interchange bench and has stepped up when the Robins have been low on troops down the middle. 5
Frankie Halton: A real find for Rovers. Halton’s surprising start to the season took pundits, supporters, and players by surprise. Tied down till the end of 2023 Halton’s efficacy in defence and solid line-running, which has seen him rise up the ranks in the Rovers pack. 7
Tom Garratt: The former Dewsbury man struggled to make the step up into Super League at first, but was coming into his own as the weeks progressed and had great games against Salford and Catalans.
His sole focus now is on recovering from a concussion setback that has seen him miss a substantial part of the season and looks to be an issue for the prop forward.