ELEPHANT IN THE VROOM
Wembley woe driving us on says KR star James
JAMES BATCHELOR admits Hull KR’s Challenge Cup final agony is spearheading their bid for success on all fronts this year.
The combative second-row was part of the side that lost on golden-point to Leigh during a dramatic Wembley showpiece last August.
Rovers begin their quest to right that wrong when they host Salford in tonight’s sixth round clash.
And Batchelor conceded: “It [Wembley defeat] is the elephant in the room, a lot of people are thinking about it.
“It probably is something that’s driving us all on. But it’s not just driving us on for this game. It will have extra meaning Friday. But it’s driving us on every day to get over the line and win some silverware this year, league and cup.”
The England Knights ace reached Wembley in his debut season with Rovers after joining from hometown Wakefield.
He also helped them make the Super League semis but Willie Peters’ side are backing themselves to break new ground this time.
Batchelor, 25, added: “It did feel like a chance gone against Leigh. But at that point of the season we didn’t have too much time to dwell on it. We were in a fight for the play-offs so basically had to go out and win our last six or seven games to make the top-four. We didn’t have time to reflect on it.
“But we’ve all had time in the offseason to think about it and we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t painful to think how that game ended.
“I’m sure it’ll taste much sweeter, though, if we manage to get some silverware off the back of that.”
However, Salford have already beaten them once this term, winning 17-10 three weeks ago.
Batchelor, who has joined Rovers’ leadership group this season, said: “There was a lot of frustration at ourselves that night. Discipline let us down massively.
“There were large periods where we were maybe on top of the arm wrestle and we let them off with penalties at key times and Marc Sneyd kicked us to death.
“We feel we’ve given ourselves a blueprint of what not to do against them.”
Tributes will be paid to club legend Phil Lowe tonight, the ex-KR and Great Britain second-row who died this week aged 74.