Hull KR 62-4 Wigan Warriors: Mikey Lewis scores hat-trick as Robins run riot against young Warriors ahead of Challenge Cup clash
Wigan Warriors made 14 changes and handed out 10 debuts ahead of their meeting with Hull KR; Robins came away with a 62-4 victory; watch every game of Super League live on Sky Sports this season - including two matches in each round exclusively live
Thursday 21 May 2026 22:23, UK
Mikey Lewis scored an 18-minute hat-trick as Hull KR ran riot in a 62-4 victory over an under-strength Wigan Warriors side in a dress rehearsal for next week's Challenge Cup final.
The two teams will meet at Wembley next week in a repeat of last year's Super League Grand Final, with this the first meeting between the two sides since the Robins defeated the Warriors at Old Trafford last year.
Ultimately, it was not the showdown many had anticipated, with Warriors boss Matt Peet opting to rest almost all of his senior players. In fact, only three of the players who featured in the win over Leeds Rhinos last week played in the trip to Craven Park.
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Willie Peters, meanwhile, only made three changes, with one of those being enforced after Arthur Mourgue's pectoral injury, reinforcing the vastly differing approaches of the two head coaches ahead of next week's battle in the capital.
Hull KR's 11 tries to Wigan's one ensured that this game would give away no inkling of how the battle at Wembley on May 30 will go.
David vs Goliath takes centre stage in dress rehearsal
The gulf in class was clear for all to see from the get-go, with the contest proving to be a physical mismatch from start to finish.
Rovers were 12-0 ahead inside six minutes, with Lewis bagging an early brace. His first try saw him run through a number of would-be defenders before supporting a Tom Davies break for his second.
Winger Davies would score himself on 12 minutes, with Lewis completing his hat-trick on 18 minutes after another simple score.
In credit to the young Wigan outfit, they then stuck in the contest for the next 11 minutes, with many of these starlets undoubtedly set for bright careers in the future.
But by half-time it was 42-0 as Rovers scored three tries in the final 11 minutes. Jez Litten's dart started the flurry of scores before Jai Whitbread and Rhyse Martin both went over in the minutes before the break.
Wigan's travelling support were ecstatic when Nathan Lowe, one of 10 debutants in the side, opened the second-half scoring, capitalising on a rare Hull KR error to intercept and run 60 metres to put the visitors on the board.
Normality would resume soon after though, with Dean Hadley going in untouched close to the line. Five minutes later, Noah Booth would get in on the act, diving home from Jack Broadbent's pass before Broadbent went from creator to scorer, racing home after a pass from Lewis, after which he was brought off with one eye on next week's final.
The scoring would be wrapped up on 77 minutes. Sam Luckley became Rovers' ninth scorer of the evening, crashing over from short range against a valiant Wigan outfit.
The try came moments after Rovers' influential forward Dean Hadley was withdrawn from the field in discomfort with a suspected hamstring injury, heading straight down the tunnel. His fitness will be a concern for the Robins heading into next week.
Peters: Broadbent was exceptional and will play at Wembley
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters on Sky Sports...
"I think he's (Broadbent) exceptional. We can play him in the halves, full-back, centre or wing. He does the job, and he gets the medal around his neck. Proud of him. It was a tough decision last week and the way he trained that week, he was the best trainer we had, from effort and attitude.
"We approached this game to get two points. We got that. There are a couple of guys we need to have a look at and see where they're at. Played at home and we got two points - we're happy.
"Kyle Lawton has a rib [injury]. I wanted to bring a couple of players off but we couldn't do that. Lawton we'll have to have a look at him.
"Three days off for the players now and it's important now we recover. We'll build the week and it's exciting we recover."
Peet: It was a courageous performance
Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet...
"Yeah, they did (pass the test of resilience). Even in the first half, we had plenty to be proud of. I thought Hull KR were excellent, very clinical in what they did.
"We learned a lot about our lads tonight, individually and collectively. But one thing we do know is that I thought it was a very courageous performance.
"I always celebrate a bit more when it is one of the young players [scoring] and you know how much it means to them and the families. It was a tough night for many of them. They've learned what the level is like. But you've got to be pleased for Nathan Lowe."
2026 Super League - key dates and what to look out for
- Super League in Paris: Sat June 6: Catalans Dragons vs Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6.30pm 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+
