Hull KR won everything on offer last season
Hull Kingston Rovers’ head coach Willie Peters lifts the trophy with CEO Paul Lakin.(Image: )
Hull KR chief executive Paul Lakin says the aim for the club this season after their incredible treble success is a simple one – be better than last year.
The reigning Super League champions and Challenge Cup winners are a month away from embarking on their trophy defence, with the mood in east Hull still jubilant after a remarkable season that saw the Robins end their trophy drought in some style by winning everything on offer to them.
Repeating the treble has never been done in Super League and is certainly not an expectation from supporters or from the Rovers board. However, building a dynasty is the aim and that means contending for honours and not standing still on the back of a season of unrivalled rugby league success in East Yorkshire.
To that end, when asked what success will look like in 2026 for the champions after winning everything previously, Lakin had a simple answer.
“My mantra to everybody at the club is two words, ‘be better.’ If everybody can be better by one or two percent across the club on and off the field in everything that they do, we won’t be far away,” Lakin told the Mail.
“That’s the key for me. Regardless of the outcome at the end of the season in terms of trophies, the key for me as the person running this club is making sure everyone is better. That’s everyone on and off the field, across the whole club, be better in everything we do.
“But, I think if everyone gets that one or two percent better, we’ll go very close this year. So let’s see.”
Hull KR will begin their season competitively by starting their Challenge Cup title defence away to the winners of Brighouse Rangers or Lock Lane on the weekend of February 7-8. Rovers then open their league account the following Thursday night at newly-promoted York Knights, before the big one of the World Club Challenge and a trip to Las Vegas to face Leeds Rhinos.
Rovers are continuing their preparations for the new season with a training camp in Tenerife, with Lakin having joined owner Neil Hudgell and chairman Paul Sewell in making a short trip to the island at the weekend to see how training was going and to spend time with staff and the squad.
“I spoke to a couple of key people in the coaching team and we’re going well,” added Lakin. “People who have been here a long time and know a lot more about these things than me tell me the boys are looking very good, so we’re excited to get going next month.”