Hours after kick-starting Hull KR’s historic treble success with a zig-zagging run through the Wigan defence at Old Trafford, Mikey Lewis was as hungry as ever to enhance his own legacy and confirm Rovers’ status as rugby league’s new dominant force.
Lewis’ stunning opening try paved the way for Rovers to seal a domestic treble with a thrilling 24-6 win over defending champions Wigan at Old Trafford and in doing so become the first new team in 21 years – and only the fifth overall – to lift the Super League Grand Final trophy.
Fuelled by the memory of last year’s near-miss against the same club on the same stage, the home-grown 24-year-old saved one of his best displays of the season for when it mattered most, marshalling his team-mates through a torrid opening 20 minutes and ultimately to a relatively comfortable win.
“I knew I didn’t play as well as I could last year, I was nowhere near in the big moments and I thought this is redemption, a second chance to show the world,” said Lewis, whose side added the ultimate domestic honour to their Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield accolades.
“It proved to me that I can do it if I put my mind to it and fully invest and now I want to keep doing it, because that’s what the greats do. One game doesn’t make me a great player, but it’s a step closer and hopefully one day I can look back and actually I was a really good player.”
Twelve months on from an equally decisive moment of genius by Bevan French, the roles were reversed as Wigan squandered two golden moments in the opening stages, fumbles from French himself and captain Liam Farrell keeping the score locked level until Lewis pounced to put Rovers in command.
Tries from Joe Burgess and Jez Litten, both during a spell of numerical advantage after Brad O’Neill was sin-binned for a tip-tackle, followed and, even when Harry Smith reduced the deficit midway through the second half, the Robins swiftly reassumed control and Burgess’s swan-diving second, after cutting out a wild pass from Smith, sealed the deal.
Besides the long-awaited silverware, Rovers’ reward will be a pre-season World Club Challenge clash against the Brisbane Broncos at Craven Park and a place at the domestic game’s top table alongside the former dominant forces of Wigan, Leeds, St Helens and Bradford.
Alongside Lewis, Litten was the other significant architect of their side’s continued rise and he echoed his team-mate’s assertion that the job is far from complete after wrapping up his own breakthrough campaign with the try that nipped Wigan’s brief revival in the bud.
“I think it shows in history that teams like Wigan, Leeds and Saints have so much experience in big games and we’ve looked at these teams and it’s what we want to go on and replicate,” said Litten.
“We’re on the right path, but it’s not done yet. Hopefully we can go on and win many more big games.”
