Wigan Warriors were too 'hungry' for us, admits Hull KR chief
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters conceded his side was simply not up for the fight after an uncharacteristically poor performance against Wigan Warriors saw them lose their grip on the first portion of last season's treble trophy haul.
Rovers lost forward Dean Hadley to a head injury after less than three minutes and an ankle blow left playmaker Mikey Lewis limping through the second period.
But Peters had no excuses as his final Wembley appearance prior to next season's move to Australia's NRL – and fledgling club PNG Chiefs – fell flat.
"Wigan were outstanding today so I don't want to take that away from them, but there were periods in that game that just wasn't us," said Peters, who played for Wigan during the 2000 campaign alongside Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski. "The hungrier side certainly won.
"We had some opportunities in that first half but we didn't want it enough, then when Wigan defended their try-line we felt sorry for ourselves and gave penalties away and didn't handle that.
"But as much as we weren't at our best, Wigan were very good."
The manner of the loss served as a stark contrast to Rovers' stunning 2025 campaign, in which Wigan came up distinctly second best, culminating in Peters' men rising to the occasion to win their first Grand Final last October at Old Trafford.
And Peters acknowledged that his opponents had relished their role as unlikely underdogs, which served them well on the day.
He added: "They've had a whole pre-season thinking about us and hating on us and making sure they got it right against us on the big occasions.
"That was evident to see, and I'd like to think that we can replicate that and finish on our terms at the back end of the year, and be as hungry as they were, because they were very hungry today."
Centre Peta Hiku, who scored Rovers’ first try on the stroke of half-time, following a clever short kick from half-back Tyrone May, certainly had no excuses in the aftermath.
He said: "I think we lost the physical battle from start to finish. We knew they had it in their game and if you do that in big games, it's not going to happen. It's disappointing and frustrating.
"Obviously this is one of the goals you set out at the start of the year when you're doing pre-season. It is disappointing to come this far and lose at the last game.
"The moments, the pictures, the memories – that's stuff you have to use to fuel the fire and get back to the drawing board next week. I suppose that's the best thing about the Challenge Cup - you can go again next week.
"It fuels the fire. It's just a bit more motivation to go into next week. We have to focus on what's ahead of us; we'll cross paths later on in the year but this is just a bit more that we hold to fuel the fire."