BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Hull KR boss Willie Peters hailed his players after they suffered a heart-breaking one-point loss to Leigh in the Challenge Cup final.
The Robins went down in extra-time after a close contest that ebbed and flowed.
“It’s hard to take, but I’m so proud of all the players,” he said.
“Like, so proud. We went through so much in the game but didn’t handle Golden Point well.
“But, if you look at that 80 minutes as a whole, we hung in, and it shows the fight and character in this side. We locked it up at the end, then lost it. It’s hard to take but really proud of everyone.
“I thought when we got that penalty in Golden Point ‘our lucks changed here.’ That we spoke about learning. It’s that set and the one after.
“We have to learn from opposition teams sometimes. We can do that tonight. They carried well and got themselves into good areas with their shape. They’re a very good team and won it for a reason.
“We spoke before the game having no regrets. Around effort and competing. I think they all did that. We are disappointed. We’ve just lost a final.
“It’s time to push for the finals now. We’ve had tough games and come back stronger this year. It won’t be hard for this group, with their character, to bounce back.”
Hull KR face defending champions St Helens in a week and Peters knows his side must get over the Cup final quickly.
“We go to St Helens on Friday and if we want to be flat we are in for a long night,” he said.
“We will have a break now and have a few beers with their family. After a few days off then, they will come back and be ready to go again.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
