Hull KR vs Brisbane Broncos Prediction: George’s 6/1 shot says the trophy goes Down Under

Betfred Super League champions Hull Kingston Rovers are 80 minutes from completing their trophy cabinet by being crowned World Club Challenge champions, as they prepare to face a Brisbane Broncos team looking to grab Australia's first win in this fixture since 2020. (19:30 GMT, Sky Sports+)

The MKM Stadium across the city of Hull is the venue for this historic clash, so can the Robins defy the odds against the very best in the NRL? My Hull KR vs Brisbane Broncos predictions follow, as do the latest team news and Betfred's full match odds.

Team News

Hull KR boss Willie Peters named his line-up earlier in the week, with two standout bits of team news for Rovers.

Dean Hadley is set to start in the forwards despite being ruled out of last week's shock opening-round Super League defeat at York with a rib injury. KR led 18-6 in that game and appeared set for a routine win before a surprise 19-18 reverse.

And Tom Amone has also been included for what will be his first appearance in a Robins shirt, having sustained a broken hand in pre-season.

Star man Mikey Lewis is free to play despite flirting with a potential ban after his bizarre trip on Liam Harris in that York loss. Peta Hiku, Elliot Minchella and Jai Whitbread were also anxious observers of the disciplinary panel this week, but all are clear to play.

So Peters has all of his big guns to call upon, and he will need them fit and firing given the squad sent over to the UK by Brisbane.

Superstar full-back Reece Walsh destroyed England in an Australia shirt last autumn, and he is back for more of the same in a touring party that oozes talent.

The rest of the line-up won't be revealed until matchday, with head coach Micharel Maguire opting to keep his cards close to his chest.

The Broncos have not played a competitive game since their Grand Final win in October, having instead undertaken full-contact training games with both London and Hull FC since arriving on British soil in the past fortnight.

Hull KR vs Brisbane Broncos Odds

The Broncos are heavily-backed to bring the NRL's first success in this clash since the Sydney Roosters trumped St Helens in 2020. They're a 2/11 chance, implying an 84.6% probability of the trophy heading Down Under.

Rovers are a 4/1 shot, with the draw priced at 22/1.

The Super League champs are given a 13.5-point start in the two-way handicap market, and are 10/11 to get the job done with that extra edge. Brisbane are 5/6 to overcome the disadvantage.

Broncos by 1-15 points @ 6/1

Super League teams may have won the last two stagings of this World Club Challenge, but make no mistake over who the favourites are here.

Anyone who watched the Betfred Super League champions suffer a shock Round 1 defeat at newly-promoted York Knights may wonder how on earth the Robins turn that kind of performance around against the best of the NRL.

But I wouldn't read anything into last week. There is not a human being with Rovers' allegiances who would not have been thinking about this Brisbane game already. No disrespect to York - who were great - but that is not a result that would have happened later in the season.

Traditionally, this is a good time for British sides to take on the NRL champions, both because of the horrendous conditions that we play in during February and March, and of course the fact that the NRL season has not started yet. This is very much a pre-season fixture for Brisbane, regardless of the magnitude of the game.

So I would not expect this to be the blowout score some are predicting, and I would give Hull KR more of a chance than I did England against Australia in the autumn.

There was no World Club Challenge last year, but in 2024 Wigan beat Penrith 16-12, with the Panthers having also lost 13-12 to St Helens the year before. Two very tight games, and two brilliant wins. The two Sydney Roosters wins over Wigan and Saints in 2019 and 2020 (there were no games in '21 and '22 because of Covid) produced Aussie wins by 12 and eight points. So we have not actually had a blowout since Melbourne Storm hammered Leeds Rhinos 38-4 Down Under in 2018.

I do think Hull KR can win this game, regardless of what I watched last week. And I do suspect Brisbane will be considerably undercooked. But I still drool at the quality of the Broncos squad and feel they may have too much quality.

I'm therefore siding with a Brisbane win, and one by a couple of converted scores.

Reece Walsh Anytime Tryscorer @ 4/5

My second selection may not offer the greatest value but is one I simply cannot overlook. Superstar Reece Walsh is a freak of nature and was a one-man crowd-puller during the Ashes series last year.

Still only 23, the full-back has 37 tries in 57 Broncos appearances over the last three seasons, and marked his Kangaroos debut against England with the first two of his four tries over that three-game series.

His Player of the Match Grand Final-winning performance last season was stunning and underlined why he is the man for the big stage and the big occasion.

For Rovers, all eyes will be on star man Mikey Lewis to showcase his talents in the limelight - the England half-back is available at 7/4 to score a try.

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