Mikey Lewis said winning the World Club Challenge was an opportunity too good to turn down after atoning for his recent indiscretion by helping Hull KR scale the summit of rugby league.
Last year’s treble winners were stunned by a 19-18 loss in their season opener at York Knights in the build-up to the clash with the NRL champions.
But Lewis and his team-mates avenged that defeat in style with a scintillating 30-24 victory at the MKM Stadium to be crowned world champions for the very first time.
“Unbelievable,” Lewis told Sky Sports. “From where we were five years ago. I’ve been on this journey from the beginning, since I was a young boy. Now look at us, thriving.
“What everyone has given off the field. We’ve built a board for us to succeed. We’ve got the playing squad, the belief.
“We could have easily fallen away last week after a disappointing result and performance. But we could let tonight pass us by. It’s an opportunity we had to take.”
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Highlights of the World Club Challenge between Hull KR and Brisbane Broncos.
‘I’ll do anything for this club’
Just a week earlier, Lewis had been sin‑binned for a reckless kick at an opponent in the loss to York – a lapse he knew he had to atone for.
“You know what, it was a stupid thing I did,” he added. “I let my team-mates down. I told Willie [Peters], 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 anything for this team and club, I’d die for this club. I just love everyone to pieces.”
‘A victory for English rugby’
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Jez Litten says victory in the World Club Challenge was a win for English Rugby League after Hull KR defeated the Brisbane Broncos.
Rovers raced into an 18-0 lead through Tom Amone, Elliot Minchella and Joe Burgess while Gehamat Shibasaki replied for the visitors before half-time.
Handling errors ultimately cost Brisbane their chance of a third victory in this contest as Oliver Gildart and Peta Hiku extended the home side’s lead to 30-4 with 23 minutes remaining.
Tries from Patrick Carrigan, Deine Mariner, Shibasaki and Kotoni Staggs somehow gave a lifeline to the Broncos, but Hull KR held on to claim victory in front of a record crowd of 24,600.
Speaking after his man-of-the-match performance, hooker Jez Litten said World Club Challenge victory was not only for Hull KR but for English rugby league as a whole.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
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Hull KR defeated the Brisbane Broncos to win the World Club Challenge.
‘A masterclass of big-game rugby’
Sky Sports Rugby League’s Jon Wilkin saluted Hull KR’s first-half dominance which laid the foundation for their historic triumph.
“Hull KR weren’t to be beaten,” he said. “Hull KR looked tired in the second half – and rightly so. They had front‑loaded so much of their effort into a stunning first‑half performance.
“It put Brisbane in a position where they simply couldn’t get into the game. For 40 minutes they did nothing but defend.
“It was a masterclass in big‑game rugby from Hull KR. They were desperate, they clung on, it wasn’t pretty, they scrapped for everything. I loved that performance.”
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+
