World Club Challenge 2026: Hull KR hold off Brisbane Broncos comeback in 30-24 victory to make more Super League history
Hull KR scored the first three tries for a half-time 18-4 lead; Broncos mounted a comeback to bring the score to 30-24 with four minutes left; Watch Hull KR take on Leeds Rhinos from the city of Las Vegas on Saturday February 28 from 11.30pm
Thursday 19 February 2026 22:51, UK
Hull KR held off an almighty Brisbane Broncos fightback to win 30-24 and secure the World Club Challenge for the first time in the club's history at the MKM Stadium.
With Super League's champions up against the NRL premiers, it was the travelling party that were the favourites, but the English competition proved the bookmakers wrong as they have done of late in this contest.
Hull KR had an incredibly strong 18-4 half-time lead thanks to converted efforts from Tom Amone, Elliot Minchella, and Joe Burgess, sending the Robins fans into pandemonium.
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Brisbane managed to hit back through Gehamat Shibasaki's unconverted flying try but it was England's champions that were in pole position with 40 minutes to go.
They did have to contend with a reshuffle, though, as fullback and goalkicker Arthur Mourgue looked to suffer a shoulder injury, and in the process, they moved Jez Litten into the halves, Kyle Lawton to hooker, and Mikey Lewis to fullback.
The Robins came out flying in the second half, Oliver Gildart and Peta Hiku increasing their advantage and Rhyse Martin converting for a 30-4 lead.
That, however, is when Brisbane's incredible comeback started as Pat Carrigan, Deine Mariner, and Shibasaki went over to bring the score to 30-20 with just under 15 minutes remaining.
The stadium was then stunned into silence as Kotoni Staggs went over to put the Broncos just one converted try behind with four minutes on the clock, but the Robins somehow managed to hold out to secure a monumental victory.
It means that Hull KR are the fifth ever Super League team to win the World Club Challenge and the third in a row after St Helens' massive win in 2023 and Wigan's in 2024, both over Penrith Panthers.
It keeps the Broncos waiting to lift the World Club, with their last win coming in 1997 and since suffering three losses in this game.
They are the first team to hold all four trophies since Wigan Warriors in 2024. Before that, it was St Helens in 2007.
Hull KR join upper echelons of rugby league as Brisbane sent home empty-handed
Playing at the home of their fierce rivals, Hull FC, the Robins did everything possible to make the stadium feel like their own, kitting the stands out with red flags and playing their club anthems.
That contributed to a partisan atmosphere, with Rovers roared on by their supporters, who had helped sell out the stadium.
How they repaid them with their first-half performance. They opened the scoring after just seven minutes through debutant Tom Amone, who was the first to react to Tyrone May's scruffy kick to score. Amone returned to Super League last year, just months into a spell in the NRL with Canterbury Bulldogs that did not go to plan. A sweet moment for him.
The Broncos were stronger in yardage, but errors were stifling them. On their last trip to the UK, Brisbane lost to St Helens in 2007 and Eddie Hemmings famously quipped that Darren Lockyer was human after all following a missed conversion. Seemingly, mortality is applicable to Reece Walsh too, as the sport's newest megastar inexplicably dropped a high kick cold to provide another opportunity to Rovers. From it, they scored, as talismanic captain Elliot Minchella barged over from Jez Litten's crash ball. 13 minutes in, Rovers were 12-0 to the good.
When Staggs fumbled in his own area ten minutes later and Joe Burgess touched down Jez Litten's threaded kick, the Robins were in dreamland, 18-0 to the good against a shellshocked Broncos side.
But the Queenslanders have a history of comebacks. This game was not done. They fired a warning shot on the half-hour mark as they got on the scoreboard. Walsh's crossfield kick was flung back in field by Deine Mariner, and Gehamat Shibasaki was able to ground the ball. Reynolds couldn't convert.
Crucially, Brisbane didn't score again before the break, Walsh scythed through and went for glory, but his kick was far too strong. On the hooter, Tom Davies palmed a cross-field kick into touch as Brisbane looked for another score, an action that promoted as big a cheer as any of the tries.
Brisbane started the second half stronger and went close again through Shibasaki. But crucially, it was the Robins who scored first, Mariner fumbling a contested Lewis kick, with the ball falling into the hands of Oliver Gildart to score, repeating his effort from 2017 when Wigan beat Cronulla.
Martin converted and when he slotted over another conversion seven minutes later, after Peta Hiku reached another short kick first, Rovers had a five-score lead.
And yet, unbelievably, the game still was not over. Brisbane came from behind in every finals game last year and they made this an almighty nervous ending for the Robins as they scored three tries in five minutes.
Captain Pat Carrigan was the first over after supporting Ben Talty's break. From the kick-off return, the visitors breached Rovers down the right and Mariner rounded Mikey Lewis to score again.
That reduced the arrears to 14, and within minutes it was down to 10 as Shibasaki got his second from Walsh's cut-out pass. Reynolds hit the post, but jubilation had quickly turned into anxiety.
Rovers, by this point, were hanging on. Brisbane had found their groove and were challenging Rovers on almost every play. By any means necessary, they found a way to keep them at bay.
When they earned a penalty, it appeared they had some respite. But Lewis didn't find touch, and after moving the ball side to side, Staggs went in. Reynolds missed, but with four minutes to go, it was a one-score game.
But time ran out. Ezra Mam couldn't track down his own kick with minutes to spare and when Josiah Karapani couldn't catch Walsh's looping pass on the final play, the game was up. Rovers celebrated, initially in relief, but then in sheer delight, having completed their trophy haul.
'A victory for English rugby' | 'I would die for this club'
Player of the match - Jez Litten - speaking on Sky Sports+:
"It's unbelievable. That was one of the most exciting games I've ever been involved in. Everyone dug deep for each other. It was a pleasure to play with these lads against a team like that, scrambling the way we did, it was unbelievable.
"I'm proud to have done this for the English game. We always get a bit of stick off the Aussies, but we're proud over here. We play a strong brand of rugby, and this is about more than just us - it's for all of English rugby."
Mikey Lewis speaking to Sky Sports+:
"You know what, it was a stupid thing I did [against York Knights]. I let my team-mates down. I told Willie, that is the kind of relationship we have.
"I paid my price, a big fine. And I just said to the boys I wanted to earn their trust back. It's ridiculous what I did, I let the whole club down. It's something I needed to get out of my game fast, and there was no better way of doing that than tonight.
"I've not played fullback many times, not pretty performances but I'll try my best. I'll do any for this team and club, I'd die for this club. I just love everyone to pieces."
2026 Super League - key dates and what to look out for
- Rugby League in Las Vegas: Sat Feb 28: Hull KR vs Leeds Rhinos, 11.30pm (Sky Sports)
- Super League's 30th birthday: Thu Mar 26: Castleford Tigers vs Bradford Bulls, 8pm (Sky Sports)
- Rivals Round: April 3-April 5
- Super League in Paris: Sat Jun 6: Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6:30 UK (Sky Sports)
- Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5
- Rivals Round reversed: July 23-July 26
- Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
- Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford.
Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season - including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining five matches each week shown on Sky Sports+
