Back to back-up: Can Hull KR build on 2023 despite Abdull departure?

Clubs like Hull Kingston Rovers normally have odds-defying seasons in isolation. They were a top-four side in 2009 but fell away immediately after, Challenge Cup finalists in 2015 then relegated within a year, and play-off semi-finalists in 2021 ahead of a tumultuous ’22 which saw coach Tony Smith fired midway through the year.

In a Betfred Super League era which has still only produced four winners of the ultimate prize over the 28-year existence of the competition, Rovers’ record is typical of the wannabe clubs who have threatened to upset the applecart but ultimately been unable to sustain a challenge beyond a single campaign.

So a Rovers team coming off a Betfred Challenge Cup final appearance and a Super League semi-final trip in 2023 have to break new ground in order to compete again in the coming months, and from the outside looking in their preparations have not been ideal in recent days.

If their trio of superstar half-backs – Tyrone May, Mikey Lewis and Jordan Abdull – looked set to give them an edge over most other Super League competitors, the loss of Abdull last week on a season-long loan to Catalans Dragons now arguably leaves them with no senior cover in what is the key area of any rugby league field.

Abdull’s kicking game had him in Man of Steel contention in early 2023 as Rovers flew out of the blocks with a new style under Willie Peters based on the unquenchable desire to defend and the ability to cause havoc with both boot and ball-handling in attack.

Kicking masterclasses by Abdull helped to secure notable wins over the likes of Wigan Warriors, Salford Red Devils, Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC as the big number seven became one of the most unplayable halves in British rugby league. But then came the inevitable. Just three days after the announcement that Abdull had committed to a new deal at Craven Park until the end of 2026, he was sidelined by a serious hamstring injury which would decimate the remainder of his season.

Why inevitable? Well, because in his four seasons at Rovers since his permanent move from London Broncos, the 27-year-old has played only 55 of 91 Super League fixtures. Injuries have been a regular factor in his story, to the point where there was already a spotlight being shone on his ability to play regularly in 2024 long before it was decided he will spend the year in the south of France rather than East Yorkshire.

On the face of it, May’s arrival at Craven Park from the Dragons makes for a like-for-like swap, but Rovers had seemingly pinned their hopes on Abdull acting as a back-up for the favoured pairing of May and new England international Lewis. So much so that they allowed Rowan Milnes to leave for Castleford Tigers even after losing former loan star Brad Schneider to the NRL champion Penrith Panthers at the end of 2023.

But there was clearly something going on which encouraged Peters to allow Abdull to go, especially after the half-back talked of a willingness to take up the Catalans hiatus. “Jordan and I sat down and had a good, honest conversation of where he was at both on and off the field. During the conversation, we discussed the opportunity for Jordan to join Catalans Dragons that was on the table,” Peters said in Rovers’ announcement of the temporary deal.

“After a few days of reflection, Jordan chose to take up the opportunity with Catalans and we will not stand in his way.”

With Abdull gone for the duration of the campaign, and with no recall option in the agreement, the Robins currently look set to be left with what they have as back-up should one or both of May and Lewis go down. Jez Litten has been an occasional option in the halves but that would take away his dynamic impact off the bench to replace starting hooker Matt Parcell, while Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e is one year further on in his progression but regular games at six or seven might be asking a lot of the youngster.

New signing Peta Hiku has been touted as a potential candidate to switch from the back line, but the New Zealand star has played there a negligible amount in his career to date and such a move would only require further shuffling of the pack.

Half-back is not the only area causing some fans concern either, with Jai Whitbread having replaced the departed Rhys Kennedy at prop but nobody else added as depth in a position in which Rovers were light on numbers last term. George King was a stand-out in the front row, and Sam Luckley was a surprise star off the bench but they might need breakout efforts from the likes of Yusuf Aydin or Zach Fishwick if there is anything close to an injury crisis over the 27 rounds to come.

This is not to say that the outlook in east Hull ought to be gloomy. The one thing they can really boast is versatility. Players like Hiku, Laulu-Togaga’e, Niall Evalds, Litten and Dean Hadley offer solutions in multiple positions. And in terms of leadership they may have lost retired veterans Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Kane Linnett and now waved goodbye to Abdull too, but Elliot Minchella has been handed the captaincy after another stellar effort in 2023 and players such as Parcell, Lewis, Hiku and Ryan Hall all provide clever brains and vocal direction in key spots, while Tuesday's addition of Joe Burgess bolsters their three-quarter line at a vital time.

There could also yet be a replacement for Abdull drafted in, with Wakefield Trinity’s Luke Gale having been identified as one possibility since last week’s bombshell departure. “We have rejected an offer from Hull KR for Luke Gale,” the Championship club’s owner, Matt Ellis, told the Yorkshire Post. “Luke wants to stay, and we’re not in the business of selling our best or most influential players.”

While some Rovers fans have reacted positively to that avenue being closed off, an experienced half-back willing to bide his time and step in as cover is just what they need if they are to kick on from their 2023 exploits rather than continue the trend of sliding away from contention after a season of promise.

Hull Kingston Rovers’ 2024 campaign might hinge on exactly who they can get their hands on in the scramble for cover between now and the big kick-off against Hull FC on February 15.