TIM ON A HULL HIGH
Sheens’ sheer joy at staying up
HULL KR will be playing Super League again next year, much to the relief of head coach Tim Sheens.
Rovers needed to win by a minimum of 14 points against already-relegated Widnes to salvage their top-flight status.
“It was a good, emphatic win but it still had my heart going with 15 minutes to go,” said Sheens.
“They kept me on my toes. But right now I am absorbing the fact we have survived.
“You are talking about your livelihood and the livelihood of the club.
“You can lose a Grand Final and not be as stressed as that. Fortunately we got through.”
Join
Rovers’ victory, two years after suffering relegation through the dreaded Million Pound Game, saw them join Salford and Leeds in the top flight for 2019.
The final place will be decided when Toronto Wolfpack host London Broncos on Sunday in the 2018 Million Pound Game.
Within 13 minutes Rovers racked up 14 points as James Greenwood and Ben Crooks crossed for tries, while Craig Hall kicked three goals.
Danny McGuire, a year after helping Leeds to Grand Final victory over Castleford, set up Chris Atkin for a 37th-minute touchdown, improved by Hall, to make it 20-0 at half-time.
And when Atkin put in Junior Vaivai for Rovers’ fourth try after 57 minutes, the tension lifted. Hall added his 12th try of the qualifiers before the end as Vikings finished with 12 men after Tom Gilmore was sin-binned for dissent.
Vikings interim coach Francis Cummins does not expect to be part of the club’s future. Former Hull FC and Wakefield coach Richard Agar is linked with the job.
Cummins won only one game after replacing Denis Betts in May and he couldn’t mastermind a victory over a Super League club.
“Plans have started already but I am not sure I will be part of them,” said Cummins. “There are some memories I will take away.
‘‘We have been accused of not caring. But when you have been stood in a changing room with a lot of men all crying like last week, then I don’t want to repeat that again.
“Those sort of experiences bond you with people. I am a coach and I want to coach, but I understand the situation.” COOPER CRONK played for 78 minutes with a broken shoulder to help Sydney Roosters beat former club, Melbourne Storm 21-6 to win Australia’s NRL Grand Final.
Half-back Cronk’s heroics ensured Aussie legend, Billy Slater’s last game of his career ended without a third NRL Premiership title.
O8