Hull | Ferocious local derby won by Hull KR

Hull KR 18 - 4 Hull FC 

Hull KR are poised to claim the League Leaders’ Shield after a commanding victory over city rivals Hull FC in a fiercely contested local derby.

Author | Jeremy Watson

Stadium | Craven Park

Players applaud the fans

Tries from Noah Booth, Jez Litten and Jack Broadbent saw Rovers open up a 14-point lead. Tom Briscoe’s late score offered Hull some hope, but Tom Davies’ try sealed an 18-4 win.

The result marks Rovers’ sixth consecutive derby triumph, moving them four points clear of Wigan and leaving only a highly improbable set of results from the final two rounds that could deny them the top spot in Super League after 27 games. Hull KR would have to lose both remaining fixtures against Wakefield and Warrington, while second-placed Wigan would need victories over Castleford and Leeds and to overturn a points difference of 113 in Rovers’ favour.

After securing the Challenge Cup in June for the first time since 1980, Rovers are now on the verge of a second trophy this season.

Hull FC, meanwhile, fall a point behind sixth-placed Wakefield, who currently occupy the final play-off position.

A closer look at what happened in Hull

Fans watching on

The opening half offered only Booth’s try in the corner, though Hull KR might have been further ahead. Arthur Mourgue missed all three of his goal attempts, including two straightforward penalties, while Mikey Lewis’ length-of-the-field effort was disallowed for a knock-on after a long video review. 

The away side could have responded immediately, but Zak Hardaker failed to gather a grubber kick just yards from the line.

Rovers capitalised shortly after Yusuf Aydin received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. Hooker Litten, who had signed a new contract earlier in the week, dived over from dummy half under the posts.

Home captain Elliot Minchella was later sent to the sin-bin for shoulder contact with Lewis Martin’s head, though a slight slip by Martin may have spared him a harsher penalty. Broadbent scored despite Rovers being a player down, while Briscoe’s try offered only consolation for Hull FC. Davies’ late try in the corner extinguished any remaining hopes of a comeback.