Betfred Super League Magic Weekend

Hull KR (12) 26

Tries: Lewis, Martin, Whitbread, May Goals: Martin 5

Hull FC (4) 12

Tries: Arthur, Briscoe Goals: Hardaker 2

A controversial Jai Whitbread try helped defending Super League champions Hull KR overcome neighbours Hull FC on the first day of Magic Weekend at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The Robins arrived at the home of Premier League club Everton for British rugby league’s showpiece weekend, looking for a statement victory against their closest rivals after being thrashed by competition pacesetters Leeds Rhinos a week earlier.

And tries from Mikey Lewis and Rhyse Martin had Willie Peters’ side leading 12-4 at the break.

Jake Arthur grabbed Hull FC’s first-half response and then sent Tom Briscoe over immediately after the interval to slash the Robins’ lead to two points.

A Zak Hardaker penalty restored parity, only for Hull KR to then resist merciless pressure and reclaim the advantage through Whitbread – who swooped on a loose ball near the try-line after Hull FC’s Lewis Martin was crunched in a tackle – before Tyrone May completed the victory.

May’s try made the win look more comfortable than it was, with the decisive moment coming when Hull FC players were compelled to swarm around referee Marcus Griffiths and argue a Jez Litten shoulder charge had forced the ball from Martin’s grasp for Whitbread’s 67th-minute try.

The collision was reviewed by the television match official (TMO) and allowed to stand, as Hull FC slumped to their seventh defeat in eight games.

While the injury-depleted Robins could welcome back Sauaso Sue for the high-profile meeting on Merseyside, the heavy defeat at Leeds a week earlier meant the defending World Club Challenge holders were without forwards Tom Amone and Dean Hadley – who clashed heads in that game – while Tevita Pangai Jr was serving the first of a six-match ban.

Sue found himself among the game’s early drama, as referee Griffiths waved away two tries in two minutes at either end. The Robins forward was first to be denied for obstruction, while Briscoe had his touchdown at the other end chalked off for a knock-on.

Lewis carved out and finished the first try that counted, sending a high kick up for Jack Broadbent to tip back to the half-back, who scampered over in the 16th minute.

Martin combined with Lewis soon after to add to Hull KR’s advantage before Arthur squirmed over the line and twisted out of the clutches of two defenders to dot down for the Airlie Birds.

Hull FC went on to suffer a double blow late in the first half, losing Davy Litten to a head injury before Martin landed a penalty to edge the Robins 12-4 ahead.

But they stunned Rovers three minutes after the restart with a well-worked try that was finished in the corner by Briscoe.

The Black and Whites remained relentless after that, but desperate defending from Hull KR left them clutching at near misses until Hardaker eventually levelled with a penalty.

Broadbent was taken into touch by Logan Moy as he attempted to restore the Robins’ lead against the run of play, but it was only a brief reprieve as Whitbread pounced for his controversial try and May put the result beyond doubt.

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters:

“We needed to find a way to win today. There’s no doubt our attack today wasn’t very fluent and it needs to improve, but we fought and that’s the part I’m happy about.

“When it got tricky and tough the players leant into it. Leading into the game there was a lot of talk about where we were at, but they’re the games you get a lot of satisfaction out of because you learn a lot about the players and their character.

“There’s some teams that would probably have lost that game but we found a way. It certainly wasn’t perfect but I liked the fight that was shown.”

Hull FC interim head coach Andy Last told BBC Radio Humberside:

“We definitely could have won the game. I thought there was a period in the second half where we had all the momentum. We were asking lots of questions of Hull KR’s defensive line but we lacked a little bit of composure and coming up with a killer pass when needed to.

“It was a good performance, there were lots of aspects I liked, but there were things we need to do better because I can’t constantly be patting blokes on the back for the effort being good – we need to start turning those efforts into wins.

On what he thought was the key moment in the game: “The moment where Lewis Martin is forced into an error coming off his try line and they score straight off the back of it, that is a key moment in the game. There were some refereeing decisions I was disappointed in.”

Hull KR: Hampshire, Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Broadbent, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Whitbread, Batchelor, Martin, Minchella.

Interchanges: Booth, Lawton, Dezaria, Leyland, Wainhouse.

Hull FC: Moy, Briscoe, Hardaker, Litten, Martin, Arthur, Sezer, Ese’ese, Bourouh, Hill, Batchelor, Clark, Bell.

Interchanges: Cust, Salabio, Mata’utia, Cartwright, Laidlaw.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths.