Glowing praise for Hull KR’s ‘under the radar’ star.
James Batchelor scored twice in Hull KR’s Challenge Cup semi-final win over Warrington Wolves.
James Batchelor has been branded Hull KR’s unsung hero after helping fire the Robins into the Challenge Cup final with a win over Warrington Wolves.
The back-rower scored twice at Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium to secure a quick return to Wembley, with Hull KR to defend their title against Wigan Warriors on Saturday, May 30.
Batchelor, 28, has become a key figure in Rovers’ rise and earned glowing praise from captain Elliot Minchella, who insists the forward remains one of Super League’s most underrated stars.
“Batch has been great. He’s probably the most consistent performer for us, I’d say,” said loose forward Minchella.
“He probably goes under the radar to a lot of people, but definitely not within our club. He values the effort areas, and does all the dirty work – not the glamorous stuff. He obviously scored two in the semi-final, but he’s not known for that – he’s known for his clean up in defence, and all the effort stuff that the average watcher may not notice. Us as team-mates, we value that the most.
“He’s also a great leader, and that’s grown over the last couple of years. He helps me a lot, and is someone that I lean on. We work together, and he’s a very valuable member of our squad.”
Batchelor missed just four games during Hull KR’s historic 2025 campaign and has again been an influential figure this season, with the Robins’ resurgence lifting them into fourth place in the Super League table with a game in hand. They face Leigh Leopards this weekend in Round 11.
“He’s one of those players you want to play with – we’ve got a few of those,” Minchella continued.
“Batch and Dean Hadley probably fall into the same category, and are two of the most respected people at our club. They enable people to do the special things, but they do special things in their own rights that go unnoticed. Those two guys lead the effort areas every week.
“That’s toughness for me – doing the tough stuff, consistently.”
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Less than 24 hours after securing a place at Wembley, Minchella, 30, was in London alongside Wigan counterpart Liam Farrell and the men’s Challenge Cup trophy to promote the double-header later this month.
“It was a great defensive performance against Warrington,” Minchella added. “We grafted hard for each other, and we wanted to win and knew what the prize was – coming to Wembley in a few weeks to play Wigan.
“We were really disciplined, and came out on the winning side – it was a pleasing afternoon.”