What Hull KR’s 36-6 Win Over Huddersfield Means for the Super League Play-Off Race
Hull Kingston Rovers are still in the fight for the Super League title. Their 36-6 victory over Huddersfield Giants did not just stop a three-game losing streak. It secured their place in the play-offs and delivered a farewell win for head coach Willie Peters.
The result was never as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. Hull KR went into the game at Sewell Group Craven Park under real pressure. A heavy defeat at Wigan Warriors a week earlier had been worsened by the decision to rest several front-line players. Nine returned for the visit of Huddersfield, with Tom Davies, Peta Hiku and Jez Litten back in the side and Matty Minchella one of seven players restored to the starting lineup.
The early exchanges belonged to Rovers. An early try glut gave them control, and although Huddersfield hit back through Tanguy Zenon, the Giants never got close enough to make it a contest. Jez Litten, Mourgue and Tom Davies scored tries, with Minchella setting up Mourgue’s second and Davies finishing in the corner. BBC Sport reported that the win, together with St Helens’ defeat, was enough to keep the reigning champions’ title defence alive into the play-offs.
For Huddersfield, the defeat was a setback to a strong finish. The Giants had been adrift at the bottom before winning five of their previous six games. They could not extend that run against a Hull KR side that needed the points more urgently.
The broader play-off picture gave the night extra meaning. Sky Sports had laid out the equation before kickoff: beat Huddersfield and Hull KR were in the top six. St Helens did lose, which means they miss out on the play-offs for the first time in the club’s history, as Sky Sports reported.
The result also served as Willie Peters’ farewell to the home supporters. Sky Sports reported that the match was expected to be his last at the club before taking over the NRL’s new PNG Chiefs, who begin play in 2028. A top-four finish was out of reach, but the win delivered the more important outcome: a play-off place and a meaningful send-off at Craven Park.