ELLIOT Minchella admitted Hull KR’s 2023 Betfred Challenge Cup final defeat still plays on his mind ahead of the Robins’ return to Wembley this weekend.
Leigh Leopards snatched a 17-16 victory thanks to Lachlan Lam’s drop goal in golden point extra time, with Minchella one of six players who are still part of the Hull KR squad from that day.
The Robins captain has never been able to forget that day two years ago, not least because he cannot escape videos of it, but is determined to banish those memories when the Betfted Super League leaders face Warrington Wolves on Saturday afternoon.
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“[I think about it] Quite often – you tend to see it on highlight videos and things over the years,” Minchella told BBC Radio Humberside.
“Leigh made history by winning the cup that day…and they were deserving winners. They handled that golden point period better than we did and they executed, so you’ve got to accept it.
“But I definitely think about it often and get reminded of it, but that’s part of the repercussions if you’re a losing finalist.”
“I just want to right the wrongs over the past couple of years and come away with a winners’ medal.”
While Minchella will lead the team onto the field on June 7, it was former New Zealand international Shaun Kenny-Dowall who skippered the side in the 2023 showpiece.
Kenny-Dowall is now an invaluable member of Hull KR’s coaching staff after hanging up his boots at the end of that season, with Minchella praising his in-game messaging as particularly vital to the players.
But while the former centre and the 29-year-old speak every day, it is the harsh lessons he he has learnt from both two years ago and the 2024 Super League grand final defeat to Wigan Warriors which will serve Minchella best this weekend as Hull KR aim to end a 40-year wait for a major rugby league honour.
“Don’t just survive in the game,” Minchella said. “That looks different for different people, but don’t just go through the motions.
“The games go really quick and a lot quicker than a normal regular-season game. You find yourself at half time thinking ‘God, I thought we’d only been here 20 minutes’.
“You have all this build-up for weeks and then the game goes really quickly, so you’ve got to execute on every play, not just survive within the game and go through the motions.
“Don’t just be a missing piece, make sure you have an influence on the game, don’t just go through it and get through the game because that’s not going to get you a winners’ medal.”