Leeds Rhinos vs Hull KR

30 | RHINOS VS HULL KR
THE COACH
Winning the Craven Park faithful over
with a top-four finish and Challenge Cup
Final appearance, Willie Peters aims to
take Hull KR to the next level in 2024.
Having developed his coaching under Trent
Barrett, Wayne Bennett, Anthony Seibold
and Adam O’Brien in the NRL, Peters
returned to Super League for the first time
since 2004 when he ended his playing career
with Widnes, and hit the ground running
with a round-one win over Wigan in 2023.
Going on to record 16 league wins, he guided
the club to within 80 minutes of Old Trafford
and also came one point short of lifting the
Challenge Cup in a 17-16 defeat to Leigh.
2024 is a new season though and Peters
is already eyeing up the derby clash with
Hull FC. Speaking to the club’s website,
he said: “We’re building for round one and
that’s the priority to be honest. The friendly
against Leeds will be the squad that we
think is going to be there for round one.
There will be players fighting for positions
so we’re going to go out and put in a
performance but our focus is mainly for
round one. That’s what we’re striving for.”
KEY SIGNINGS
OLIVER GILDART
Returning permanently to Super
League from the NRL Dolphins,
Oliver Gildart is a big signing ahead
of the new season. A two-time
Grand Final winner with Wigan
over seven seasons at the DW
Stadium, he earned international
honours with England and Great
Britain and also had the opportunity
to play in the NRL with Sydney
Roosters and Wests Tigers in 2022.
TYRONE MAY
A Grand Finalist with Catalans
after one of his best Super League
seasons, May arrives at Hull KR
to join Mikey Lewis in an exciting
half-back partnership. Previously
at Penrith Panthers where he
was a Grand Final winner in 2021,
he was utilised as a centre and
half back at the Dragons before
settling alongside Mitchell Pearce
for the majority of 2023.
PETA HIKU
Centre Hiku returns to Super League
for the first time since 2018 when he
helped the Wolves survive relegation.
The 31-year-old Kiwi international
has over 200 NRL appearances to his
name, having recently been a part
of Todd Payten’s North Queensland
side that just missed out on the
Finals in 2023. Before that, he spent
four years at the Warriors as well as
having spells with Penrith and Manly.