WILL it be repeat or revenge today?
This afternoon will see Warrington Wolves and Hull KR face off for the first time in Super League this year in what is arguably the stand-out tie of Round 19 on paper.
However, they have met already this year when the Robins convincingly beat Sam Burgess’ men in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, thereby extending their excellent recent record against The Wire.
Warrington will no doubt have studied that game as part of their preparations, so has it stirred up the desire for revenge?
As always, we start our array of matchday coverage with our key Game Day talking points…
A game Wire must win?
That may seem a strange assertion given the stage of the season we are in.
There is still a third of the regular season to be played and after this game, Warrington will still have 27 points to play for.
And of course, there will be those who point to Wire’s run through August and early-September which features only two games against sides currently in the top six although there have been demonstrations aplenty this year that no game in Super League is to be taken lightly.
However, it feels as though both the team and the fanbase needs a bit of a pick-me-up and beating a fellow competitor will do just the trick.
There are still detractors who say Wire’s Class of 2026 has not really beaten anyone yet – perhaps a harsh view – but a victory over a full-strength Hull KR side would put that argument to bed.
Above all, though, they will not want to risk dropping any further off the pace and putting themselves in more danger of being the odd one out when it comes to the final top six.
…and is it the same for Hull KR?
The “must win” argument may apply more to today’s visitors, who have been inconsistent of late.
Wire have seen the Robins at their relentless best this season in the Challenge Cup semi-final – a game in which Burgess’ boys never recovered from being blown away in the first quarter.
Since then, though, the nine games they have played have resulted in five wins and four defeats including being swatted aside by Wigan at Wembley.
Indeed, a loss could see Willie Peters’ side finish the weekend outside the top six – something that seemed unthinkable at any point but lends weight to the argument of some observers that Rovers are not the force they were.
However, Wire must expect to face a side surely desperate to prove said observers wrong.
We owe them one…
Hull KR have been responsible for some of the more painful memories of the Sam Burgess era.
First it was the 2024 Super League semi-final, then Wembley last year and then Doncaster in May – it’s fair to say Burgess’ time in charge will have been viewed in a very different light had at least one of those fixtures gone the other way.
In all, Wire have lost their last six matches against the Robins, with their last triumph coming by way of a 20-8 home win back in May 2024.
It’s fair to say Warrington owe the men from East Hull one. Probably more than one…
High time for Cai?
It’s fair to say Burgess has teased Warrington fans with the prospect of their beloved number one’s return for a few weeks now.
In three out of the last four games, he has dangled the carrot by naming him in his 21-man squad despite there being no realistic prospect of him playing – an approach that has caused understandable frustration.
This time, however, was the first public admission that the 20-year-old was in with a real chance of starting his latest bid to put an injury-wrecked season behind him.
An attack that has looked flat and one-paced in recent weeks has really missed the dynamism and X-factor he brings but more than anything else, the sight of his name on the team sheet will lift the stadium.
Of course, he is not certain to play and Lachlan Webster, who has done little wrong when deputising at full-back, is still there if needed, but you get the impression it’s high time for Cai…
Protect your house
When they look at it objectively, Wire fans have had pretty good value for their season ticket this year…
They have seen their side win nine of their 10 Super League home games including neighbours Wigan and St Helens being sent packing, with Wire scoring an average of just over 27 points per game on average.
A formidable Leeds Rhinos side are the only ones to successfully storm Fortress Halliwell Jones this year – and Wire must keep it that way.
With due respect to York, Huddersfield and Toulouse – the three teams left to visit after today – Hull KR present the biggest challenge on paper to that and what they cannot afford is for the disquiet that has resurfaced online and at times in grounds to seep onto the home terraces.
This is our house. It must be protected at all costs.
Share