Five KR fixtures with extra spice for 2023
Ask any coach, and they’ll tell you each match is just as important as the other. However, almost everyone associated with Hull KR will be guilty of dissecting the club’s 2023 fixtures and highlighting what games stand out above others.
As the excitement is building ahead of Willie Peters’ first year in charge of the Robins, we take a look at five fixtures that may be crucial to Rovers’ success next season.
Wigan Warriors (H) Febuary 18
The excitement will be palpable when Rovers host Wigan in round one, as the Willie Peters era will be on show for everyone to see as the Channel 4 cameras roll into Craven Park.
There’ll be a lot of talk about if the Robins can start well under the new regime, and a win on the opening day against one of the best teams in the competition would send a warning to the rest of the league.
In front of a packed crowd, expect fireworks on the pitch as Rovers look to get revenge over the Warriors.
Leeds Rhinos (H) - March 31
When the Rhinos travel to East Hull in March, we will be six rounds into the Super League calendar, and most sides will have an understanding of their aspirations for the remainder of the season. On paper, you’d expect Rovers and Leeds to be battling it out again for a lower-end play-off spot along with Salford, Huddersfield and Castleford. So these fixtures have some added spice to them, with every point so vital.
The Rhinos did the double over KR in 2022 and ended the regular season just five points clear of Rovers before reaching Old Trafford. If Hull KR want to be in and around the leading pack, they must pick off teams like Leeds, especially at Craven Park.
Hull FC (A) - April 7
East Hull v West Hull, Robins v
Airlie Birds, Willie Peters v Tony Smith. The first derby of 2023 will be one for the ages, and the atmosphere at the MKM Stadium will be red-hot. A game that means so much to both sides, Rovers will want to repeat last season’s Good Friday fixture, and to do it on enemy turf against their former boss would make the two points even sweeter.
Wakefield Trinity (H) June 23
This meeting will be the second of three in 2023, but it looks to be the most significant. Rovers will be coming off the back of a Magic Weekend game with Salford and a trip to Catalans Dragons when Wakefield come to Craven Park, but it marks the beginning of a massive period for the club.
After this tie, the Robins face Leigh, Hull FC, Leeds and Castleford, four fixtures that could dictate if Peters’ men make the top six or not. Realistically including the Trinity game, Rovers need to be picking up at least three wins during this time, and June 23 is already a must-win game.
Salford Red Devils (H) - September 15
If 2022 is anything to go by, the final games of next season will still have several teams battling it out for a place in the play-offs.
When Rovers host the Red Devils, it could be the old cliche of a ‘fourpointer.’
Only time will tell, but at the moment, this fixture could have considerable implications for what happens going into the final round.