Hull KR boss Willie Peters hails two-try Joe Burgess as contract discussions get underway
Joe Burgess scored twice, including a sensational 90m effort, as Hull KR dumped holders Leigh out of the Challenge Cup.
Victory won’t ever make up for agonisingly losing against the same opponents in last year’s final.
The ex-Wigan star only joined on a 12 month deal after his surprise Salford sacking in January but he’s definitely making his mark. Burgess, 29, raced 90m and rounded Aussie star Matt Moylan for that spectacular eighth minute opener to get the hosts up and running in a thrilling quarter-final. After Leigh replied to lead 8-4 at the break, Burgess produced another quality finish in the 46th minute and they never looked back.
He’s now scored six tries in five games and Peters admitted: "Joe was great. He got that try for us and that pace is something we probably lacked last year. Bringing in someone like Joe, he can make a line-break and score from long range.
"I’m really happy for him. He’s a good person and he’s fitted in really well. We have still got to make some decisions around the group [contracts] but Joe is certainly doing everything he can to extend his time here. We enjoy what he's doing and what he's bringing to the club so we will have discussions around that.
“It was a great game. Both teams went hard. And it’s probably the edgiest I’ve been as it got to the end. I did think it might go to golden point again. But we dug deep and I’m really proud of them.”
Leigh fielded eight players from the squad that last season brought a glorious first Cup final win in 52 years. But missing captain John Asiata, hooker Edwin Ipape and full-back Gareth O’Brien, they were always going to be up against it here. Adrian Lam’s side have won just once all season so they were already ripe for the taking.
However, they weren’t out of this until the very last play. Ben McNamara threw a desperate pass near his own line to try and take the game into extra-time. But it only reached KR’s Tyrone May who palmed it down for his skipper Elliot Minchella to jubilantly finish things off.
England scrum-half Mikey Lewis was terrific for the hosts who also saw Niall Evalds and the excellent Kelepi Tanginoa cross for tries, Lewis finishing with three goals. Rovers also had three efforts disallowed via Jai Whitbread, Dean Hadley and May which meant Leigh were still in touch after Kai O’Donnell and Umyla Hanley tries.
Moylan slotted three goals and boss Lam said: “Right up to the last set I was hoping for a miracle try but it wasn’t to be. I thought we could have [won] but we didn’t complete. It’s probably the best rugby we’ve played in the first half but we fell on our own sword with mistakes. That hurt us in the end.”
HULL FC are set to announce the shock appointment of York’s ex-Leeds, Warrington and England star Richie Myler, 33, as director of rugby - tasked with bringing in a new head coach after Tony Smith’s sacking on Thursday.