Hull KR beat Warrington to reach first Grand Final

Betfred Super League

Hull KR (10) 10

Tries: Batchelor, Burgess Goal: Lewis

Warrington Wolves (0) 8

Tries: Ashton 2

Hull KR reached their first Super League Grand Final after resisting a ferocious Warrington Wolves comeback at a rapturous Craven Park.

A James Batchelor try and contentious Joe Burgess finish put the hosts 10-0 up on a momentous night for a side transformed in recent years by head coach Willie Peters.

Matty Ashton scored two brilliantly taken second-half tries to give Sam Burgess' Wolves renewed hope of reaching a second major final this season - having made it to June's Challenge Cup decider, which they lost to Wigan.

In a pulsating finish, Hull KR's defence resisted a merciless barrage from Warrington, who had two late scores overruled as they fell just short in the first play-off semi-final.

They will meet the winner of Saturday's other last-four tie between defending champions Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards in the Grand Final on 12 October.

The Robins earned a week off and home semi-final after finishing second in the table, while Wolves needed golden-point extra-time to edge out St Helens in an elimination play-off thriller to get to within 80 minutes of their first Grand Final since 2018.

But there will be no Old Trafford return for Warrington this year under high-profile head coach Burgess in his rookie season as boss, as Hull KR became the 10th new team to reach a Super League Grand Final in the competition’s 27 year history.

For a side that was relegated to the Championship eight years ago, and finished bottom of the table as recently as the Covid-impacted 2020 campaign, their trip to Manchester for the northern hemisphere’s showpiece rugby league event signifies how enormous the Robins' turnaround has been.

With each side boasting a Man of Steel nominee in their ranks – in Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis and Warrington’s Matt Dufty - and just two points and one place separating the pair in the table after 27 regular-season games, the semi-final showdown promised much.

Batchelor gave the hosts a deserved lead in the 18th minute of a captivating tie, as he stretched out to finish after squirming free of two tacklers.

Warrington improved after the setback and had a Dufty try ruled out for obstruction on the half-hour mark, only to then go further behind in controversial circumstances.

Referee Liam Moore ruled that Burgess had managed to ground his effort after crashing over from close range, and despite it being sent to the television match official there was no conclusive video evidence to overrule the on-field call.

Ashton gave Warrington the ideal start to the second half, slamming the ball down for Wolves’ first try in the 46th minute having started the initial attack with a brilliant break and run.

And the lively winger had Wolves back within two points of the hosts as he took a Dufty pass on the left before diving over in the corner.

Josh Thewlis’ failure to land either conversion left the visitors still chasing the game with 20 minutes left, but Ashton’s 24th and 25th tries of the Super League campaign set up a tense and, at times, chaotic finish.

Hull KR’s defence worked tirelessly to keep the Wolves from snatching victory, though two chances went begging with a Thewlis try ruled out for a forward pass from Rodrick Tai, while a last-minute touchdown from Toby King failed to count as Dufty knocked-on before the winger collected the loose ball to scamper over.

Hull KR: Evalds; Burgess, Hiku, Broadbent, Hall; May, Lewis; Sue, Parcell, Whitbread, Storton, Batchelor, Hadley.

Interchanges: Litten, Luckley, Tanginoa, Brown.

Warrington Wolves: Dufty; Thewlis, Tai, King, Ashton; Williams, Drinkwater; Yates, Walker, Harrison, Bateman, Nicholson, Currie.

Interchanges: Powell, Crowther, Vaughan, Philbin.

Referee: Liam Moore.