Hull Kingston Rovers beat Leigh Leopards 22-8 at Sewell Group Craven Park and stayed third in Super League. It was their second straight win after the Challenge Cup final loss to Wigan. Willie Peters got the response he needed, even if the performance was messy.
Lewis starts the move
Mikey Lewis made the first break after three minutes, only for it to be pulled back for a forward pass. Six minutes later, the pressure told. Joe Burgess finished after a pass from Rhyse Martin, with Lewis involved in the build-up, and Hull KR had the lead they wanted.
Peta Hiku added the second try before the first quarter-hour ended, running on to a Tyrone May grubber. That put Leigh under real strain early and gave Hull KR a cushion they did not lose. Leigh's first reply came at 20 minutes through Jacob Alick-Wiencke.
Martin controls the finish
Hull KR kept pulling away after the break. Jai Whitbread scored the third try early in the second half, and Bill Leyland added the fourth 10 minutes into the second half. Rhyse Martin handled the rest, kicking the extras and adding a late penalty.
The scoreline did not tell the whole story. Leigh were loose enough to make life hard for themselves, yet Hull KR still did enough to move clear in the table. Rovers had also won at Sewell Group Craven Park by 30 points on a previous visit in March, and Leigh finished this one with only a late Bailey Hodgson try to show for their effort.
Willie Peters' reset
For Willie Peters, the value was simple: two wins in a row after the Challenge Cup final loss to Wigan. Hull KR did not need a perfect afternoon to protect third place, only a cleaner one than Leigh could manage. They got that, and the league position stayed where they wanted it.
