Why Hull KR will not be discussing last year's Challenge Cup Final this week

Willie Peters will not be using last year's Challenge Cup Final defeat as a tool of motivation leading into the semi-final clash with Wigan Warriors. Hull KR are looking to secure a second consecutive appearance at Wembley but will need to overcome the Super League champions to do so.

It was the same opponents that Rovers overcame to reach the final last year, with Brad Schneider landing the winning drop-goal. For contrasting reasons, that experience, as well as the Golden Point defeat to Leigh Leopards in the final, will live long in the memory.

The Robins could call on both of those experiences to enhance their preparations for Saturday's bout in Doncaster. However, Peters insists that he will be steering clear of discussing Wembley leading into the weekend.

"We certainly won't go to the final," Peters said. "If you do, it draws negative emotion, and we certainly don't want to live that again and feel that again. There might be a time that you draw to that, but I don't think it's the right time now because we're in a new season and a semi-final of the Challenge Cup; let's draw from the feeling we had last year to get to that final.

"It's around that positivity feeling we had. The players we had in that game, they'll want to feel it again and the ones that hadn't, they'll want to get to Wembley."

Psychologically, preparing the players for such a big game is a key component of the build-up for the coaching staff. That has been part of the thinking for Peters this week.

"We have things every week and we try to motivate players in different ways. Some you need to do more than others, and I think this week is to do a bit less. The reason I say that is because it's the week of a Challenge Cup semi-final. If players aren't up for the semi-final of a Challenge Cup then we are in some trouble.

"We're coming to a stadium that's going to be full, it's going to be loud, it will have a great atmosphere. It's one of those weeks where you hope the players are up for it because of everything that goes around it. We'll have a look at certain things, we'll have a theme like we do every week, but in terms of motivation, they'll have their own internal motivation."

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