Hull KR head coach Willie Peters has avoided raking up painful memories as he prepares his side for Saturday’s Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final against Wigan in Doncaster.
Victory for Rovers in a repeat of last season’s epic last-four clash at Headingley will seal a swift return to Wembley, where the east Hull side were denied a first title since 1980 due to Lachlan Lam’s golden point drop goal.
Peters, who signed a new four-year contract at Craven Park this week, hopes his side can harness the feeling of last year’s semi-final and leave the topic of Wembley heartbreak on the sidelines for the time being at least.
“We certainly won’t go into the final,” said Peters. “If you do, it draws negative emotion and we certainly don’t want to live that again and feel that again.
“There might be a time that you draw on that, but I don’t think it’s the right time now because we’re in a new season and a new semi-final of the Challenge Cup.
“Let’s draw on the feelings we had last year in getting to the final and the positivity we had. The players we had in that game will want to feel it again, and the ones that didn’t will want to get to Wembley.”
Brad Schneider kicked a dramatic golden point winner to sink Wigan and book Rovers’ trip to Wembley last year, only for them to come up short in similar fashion against resurgent Leigh.
But Peters’ men regrouped admirably to reach last season’s play-offs and a much-changed line-up have continued their momentum into the new campaign, culminating in an impressive 26-10 Super League win over Matt Peet’s men late last month.
Amid a series of impressive new arrivals, including Tyrone May, Niall Evalds and Jai Whitbread, the continued emergence of hooker Jez Litten, who has made the number nine shirt his own this season, has also proved a significant factor.
Litten, who played for Doncaster, then in League One, during his struggle to impose himself with his previous club Hull FC, believes his Rovers team-mates have been boosted by Peters’ decision to commit his long-term future to the club.
“I’m just trying to learn and improve each week and it’s nice to get the opportunity to play in massive games,” said Litten, whose opportunities were limited last season behind first-choice hooker Matt Parcell.
“We’ve got players who have come into the squad and other players who aren’t playing because it’s such great competition. Everyone’s hungry and you can’t ask for much more than that.
“Willie has really driven the club forward and all the boys have bought into what he’s doing. It’s been good for me personally and I’m eager to learn much more because he’s brought me on so much.”
Wigan’s quest to regain a title they last won in 2022 during Peet’s first season as head coach has been hit by the loss of the suspended Liam Byrne.
The world champions responded to their loss at Rovers with two wins in a row but Peet knows there are plenty of improvements still to be made if they are to extend their record as the most successful club in the history of the competition and win it for the 21st time.
“This is a stand-alone game in which form goes a little bit out of the window,” said Peet. “We will need to be tighter in certain areas and it is about us concentrating and getting our preparation right.
“The beauty of the Challenge Cup for the town, the club, and the supporters is having a fantastic weekend in London with so much history and tradition.
“The semi-final and final are the games you want to play in and it’s a very exciting opportunity ahead.”