Betfred Super League 2026: ‘Hunters’ Hull KR hungry for more after treble triumph

After a mesmerising 2025 campaign saw them end a 40-year trophy drought with a historic treble triumph, Hull KR are heading into the new Betfred Super League season insisting on remaining the hunters rather than the hunted.

The Super League, Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield winners have a World Club Challenge and a date in Las Vegas to look forward to in 2026, as well as the defence of all three domestic gongs.

Yet club captain Elliot Minchella says the playing group have already put their incredible successes of last year to the backs of their minds as they get set to begin the ’26 season.

“Last year has sort of been forgotten about within the group, it’s about going and making 2026 a year to remember. We’re really looking forward to playing again.” Minchella tells The Sportsman Rugby League, in association with Betfred.

“We’re still processing what last year looked like, but I guess we haven’t got too long to process it because another season starts soon. It probably won’t sink in for quite a long time, especially before the games get going again.

“But it was an unbelievable season and it couldn’t have gone any better if we’d wanted it to.

“It had probably been building for a couple of years. We’d been pretty close to silverware in the run-up to last year and obviously didn’t quite get over the line.

“Then bringing in a couple of experienced players last off-season added a lot to us as a group, and as the pre-season went on we realised that we had the potential to do something special.”

Despite having become the team to beat in the Northern Hemisphere, Minchella says that Rovers’ players don’t regard themselves any differently to 12 months ago even if there’s now a target on their back.

“Maybe [that’s the case] from the outside, but from the inside we’re still hunting everybody else,” the 30-year-old insists.

“We want to go and hunt the rest of the competition, to win. When you get a taste of winning, it’s addictive. You want that feeling again. So we’re hunting that, essentially, and if that means people are hunting us, then so be it.”

Rugby League Odds

The Robins beat Warrington Wolves 8-6 in June’s Betfred Challenge Cup final before going on to finish top of the Super League and conquering holders Wigan in the Grand Final at Old Trafford, 24-6.

And despite having lost old heads Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Michael McIlorum, the additions of the likes of Tom Amone, Jordan Dezaria and Karl Lawton inject some extra energy to Willie Peters’ squad.

Those fresher legs will be needed in a hectic schedule which includes that World Club Challenge clash with the NRL champion Brisbane Broncos on February 19, followed nine days later by a Super League meeting with Leeds Rhinos in Las Vegas.

“It’s a great opportunity, and it’s great that we get to play them in Hull,” second-rower Rhyse Martin says of the Broncos match-up. “It’s been a focal point in the pre-season, knowing what Brisbane are going to bring for that World Club Challenge.

“It’s going to be a good barometer to see where we’re at as a team and as a club, and going up against one of the biggest rugby league teams in the world is going to be exciting for the community.

“Hopefully it will set our season up nicely and we can build some confidence after those games.”

The Robins are 11/5 with Betfred to retain their Super League crown, and are a 2/1 shot for the League Leaders’ Shield again. A repeat of last June’s Challenge Cup success is priced at 3/1, with the title sponsors offering 20/1 about another treble triumph.

They begin their cup defence against Castleford-based amateur side Lock Lane on Friday, February 6 before heading to the newly-promoted York Knights for their Super League opener on Thursday 12.

And the aim for season? For Martin, the task is clear:

“Do it again. That’s the goal.”

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