12 February 2025

Young Robins given tough test by Knights

Hull KR 12
York City Knights 26

by Mark Chestney

The young Robins fielded by head coach Willie Peters – with a sprinkling of first-team players – went down to defeat in their Amsterdam Challenge clash with York City Knights.

The Robins led 12-10 at the break but succumbed to the Championship side in the second half.

York started the better in a side containing former Super League Man of Steel and Castleford Tigers player Paul McShane, former Hull FC forward Jordan Thompson, and ex-Rovers utility back Will Dagger.

They went ahead with a fourth-minute try when second-row forward Jesse Dee cut through the Rovers defence out on the right to get the ball down. Dagger was on kicking duties to make it 6-0.

Rovers finally got some possession, and when Jack Broadbent ran at the York defence, he caught them offside. Then, when York regained the ball, Louix Gorman picked up on a loose ball to race 80 metres as Danny Richardson levelled the scores with the conversion.

Peters’ side then had a chance to take the lead for the first time when they forced a goal-line drop-out. Harvey Horne looked to be heading for another Rovers try, but great York defence snuffed out the chance.

On 17 minutes, York returned to lead 10-6 when Ata Hingano found Levi Edwards, who crossed the line. This time, Dagger was unable to land the conversion before Rovers hit back to take a 12-10 half-time lead.

Midway through the half, a short ball from close-season signing from Bradford Bulls Eribe Doro set up Leo Tennison to power his way over. Richardson was again on target to put Rovers ahead.

Another try then went begging when Jack Brown’s superb offload to Bill Leyland, another close-season signing from London Broncos, led to Broadbent spilling the ball and the chance went begging.

With four minutes to half-time, York were reduced to 12 men when Hingano was sin-binned for delaying a restart. However, early in the second half, and still down to 12 men, York retook the lead.

On 42 minutes, on the back of a “six again,” Liam Harris reached out to the line as Dagger failed to add the extras. But four minutes later, they were in again as Dagger’s wide ball saw substitute Miles Harrison score. Harris failed to convert, but the Knights led 20-12.

Rovers had Doro sin-binned on 48 minutes for a late hit on Dagger, and as York progressed, Hingano threw the ball out into touch thinking there was a man there. But after a lot of changes, York scored again with what would prove to be the winning score in this challenge match.

On 65 minutes, Rovers were caught short on numbers out on the left as Connor Bailey went over. This time, Harrison turned goal-kicker and landed the conversion for an unassailable 14-point lead, which they held onto.

Rovers assistant coach Danny Ward said of the performance: “We expected a tough test, and we certainly got that.

“York played well and were hard to break down, and some lads really stood up and had a good crack. For some others, it was a challenge to play at this level, some of the younger players.

“I was a bit disappointed overall with how many points we conceded and the ease of some of the tries—they seemed to score every time they got down there.

“For a first hit-out, we looked strong, dominant in collision, which is what we needed at times. It was just a little bit scrappy, and we couldn’t get our attack going. We made far too many errors—error, error, penalty—which is disappointing, and we didn’t have more control of the game.”

Rovers: Jack Broadbent, Harvey Horne, Louix Gorman, Connor Barley, Lee Kershaw, Phoenix Laulu-Togague, Danny Richardson, Jack Brown (C), Bill Leyland, Eribe Doro, Kelepi Tanginoa, Leon Ruan, Zach Fishwick. Subs: AJ Wallace, Leo Tennison, Lennie Ellis, Neil Tchamambe, Luke Phoenix, Aaron Powell, Freddie Watts.

Knights: Will Dagger, Joe Brown, Kieran Buchanan, Levi Edwards, Brad Ward, Ata Hingano, Liam Harris, Jack Martin, Paul McShane, Jordan Thompson, Jesse Dee, Connor Bailey, Jacob Gannon. Subs: Sam Cook, Brendan Santi, Kieron Hudson, Oli Field, Joe Law, Taylor Pemberton, Miles Harrison, Jude Ferreira, Connor Fitzsimmons, Jack Teanby.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Half-time: 12-10
Attendance: 2,715 (Netherlands Rugby League record)
Rovers Player of the Match: Jack Brown