St.Helens Head Coach Paul Rowley spoke to the press following our 52-10 loss away against Hull KR.
The Saints boss was honest and straightforward in his assessment of the heavy defeat to the Super League and World Club Champions, stating that his side were second best across all areas.
Rowley felt the game slipped away early, summed up with the first error off the first carry. Both physically and structurally, on the night the team could not match Hull KR’s intensity or maintain their defensive shape, as the Robins played their first home match of the season and looked to respond to a poor start to their league campaign.
Rowley analysed that the Saints were consistently on the back foot, making it difficult to build pressure or gain field position, while the hosts were able to attack consistently, especially out wide.
While acknowledging the impact of injuries and some young players still earning valuable experience, Rowley did not want to use that as an excuse. Whilst it was ‘painful’, hopefully it is a valuable learning experience for the group, especially our youngsters.
Despite the setback, Rowley remains confident in his squad’s character and expects a positive reaction in the coming weeks, including our next fixture, which is the traditional Good Friday Derby against our fiercest rivals, Wigan.
