Hull KR head to Vegas as world champs after repelling Broncos
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Hull KR repelled a stunning Broncos comeback to head into Vegas next week as world champions after a gripping 30-24 win over the NRL premiers.
Bragging rights were on the line at MKM Stadium when the Super League champions hosted Brisbane, and the Robins ambushed the Broncos from the opening whistle but were forced to hang on in a dramatic finish to the World Club Challenge.
After leading 18-4 at halftime, Hull KR scored two early tries in the second half but you can never write off the Broncos - as they showed in last year's finals series.
Brisbane scored three tries in five minutes to set up the grandstand finish and when Kotoni Staggs crossed with three minutes left it was anyone's game.
Reece Walsh was the man pulling the strings for the Broncos, who produced eight-line breaks to two. Both teams scored five tries but three missed Adam Reynolds conversions ultimately proved the difference.
Hull KR's win completed an historic 2025 season in which the Robins were crowned Super League champions for the first time.
Willie Peters’ side also won the Super League Leaders Trophy and the Challenge Cup and are now world club champions.
Longest 20 minutes of his life
Hull KR now head to Allegiant Stadium to take on Leeds in next weekend's Rugby League in Las Vegas festival, with the NRL season opening double-header between the Cowboys and Knights, and Bulldogs and Dragons.
Hull KR and England hooker Jez Litten was player of the match.
Follow all the action from the 2026 World Club Challenge on NRL.com's live blog.
Hull KR v Brisbane Broncos at MKM Stadium
Match: Hull KR v Broncos
Round 1 -
home Team
Hull KR
1st Position
away Team
Broncos
2nd Position
Venue: MKM Stadium, Hull
79 min: Mam has kicked the ball dead as the Broncos threw the ball around in a desperate last ditch bid.
77 min: Hang to your seats. Staggs has scored out wide after the Broncos ran the ball on the last tackle. Reynolds missed the conversion. Hull KR 30 Broncos 24.
Kotoni Staggs Try
76 min: Lewis hands the Broncos another chance after failing to find touch from a penalty.
75 min: Shibasaki almost had his third try after winning the race for a Ben Hunt chip kick but couldn't control the ball.
71 min: The Broncos are chancing their arm but a Walsh pass to Mariner goes over the sideline.
Crowd: 24,600
67 min: The Broncos are back after Walsh put Shibasaki over with a face pass. Reynolds missed the conversion. Hull KR 30 Broncos 20
Gehamat Shibasaki 2nd Try
63 min: Don't write the Broncos off after Mariner raced 70m to score on the second tackle from the kick-off, dummying past Lewis. Reynolds converted. Hull KR 30 Broncos 16
Deine Mariner Try
61 min: Ben Talty has given the Broncos hope after busting through the defence close to the ruck and finding Pat Carrigan in support. Reynolds converted. Hull KR 30 Broncos 10
Patrick Carrigan Try
56 min: What has happened to the Broncos that won last year's NRL premiership? It's all one way traffic as Hiku crossed for Hull KR's fifth try from a perfectly weighted May grubber. Martin converted. Hull KR 30 Broncos 4.
Peta Hiku Try
55 min: Lewis has tightened the screws with a 40/20 kick.
Lewis nails a 40/20
50 min: Hull KR go down the other and scored through former Wests Tigers centre Oliver Gildart after Burgess tapped back a Lewis bomb. Martin converted. Hull KR 24-4
Oliver Gildart Try
48 min: Shibasaki almost scored his second try but lost the ball reaching out for the tryline.
Shibasaki short
42 min: Hull KR have started the second half like the first, with Litten and Karl Lawton going close to scoring but the Broncos held firm in defence.
Halftime summary: The Broncos have been ambushed by a near perfect Hull KR in the opening 40 minutes of the WCC, trailing 18-4 at the break. With the match played in freezing temperatures, Broncos stars Reece Walsh and Kotoni Staggs have committed several handling errors each and the Super League champions have capitalised. Robins hooker Jez Litten and halves Mikey Lewis and Tyrone May have taken advantage of the field position and possession via a 90 per cent completion rate. The Broncos finished the first half strongly, with Walsh heavily involved, and Hull KR have had to adjust their line-up after losing French fullback Arthur Mourgue with a shoulder injury.
Walsh all speed
40 min: Former Kiwis centre Peta Hiku diffuses a last gasp Broncos scoring opportunity by knocking a Reynolds kick over the sideline as the halftime siren sounds.
37 min: Walsh showed what he can do with a brilliant run after splitting the defence to make a long range break before kicking ahead only for the ball to go dead.
33 min: Walsh is unable to hold a pass from Reynolds, committing Brisbane's fifth error of the first half so far.
32 min: Litten and secondrower James Batchelor hold Ezra Mam up over the tryline. However, Litten is ruled to have stripped the ball from Mam. Fullback Mourgue injured his shoulder making the initial tackle on Mam as he ran from dummy half.
29 min: The Broncos have hit back after winger Josiah Karapani caught a crossfield kick from Walsh and dropped the ball back from Kangaroos centre Gehamat Shibasaki. Adam Reynolds missed the conversion. Hull KR 18 Broncos 4.
Gehamat Shibasaki Try
23 min: Joe Burgess has swooped on a Litten grubber to score out wide following a tap back by PNG captain Rhyse Martin from a May crossfield kick. Martin converts from the sideline. Hull KR 18-0
Joe Burgess Try
20 min: Kangaroos centre Kotoni Staggs has committed his second handling error after knocking on at dummy half after Walsh fielded another Lewis kick.
Mourgue opens them up
14 min: Things are going from bad to worse for the Broncos, with Jensen failing his HIA. Payne Haas was limping but the superstar prop may now be called on to play big minutes in his first game of the season.
13 min: Hull KR go further ahead after captain Elliott Minchella crashed over from close range after clever dummy half play from England hooker Jez Litten, who would not be out of place in the NRL. Mourgue converted. Hull KR 12-0
Elliot Minchella Try
10 min: Another chance for Hull KR after Walsh drops a kick from Lewis near the Broncos line.
Another chance for the Robins
7 min: Hull KR have struck first blood with Tom Amone scoring on debut from an unlikely grubber kick from Tyrone May, who dropped the ball onto his leg and then his foot. French fullback Arthur Mourgue converted from next to the posts. Hull KR 6-0
Tom Amone Try
6 min: Mariner has been forced to knock the ball over the deadball line after a grubber from Mikey Lewis was chased by Joe Burgess.
Lovely touch from Lewis
2 min: Brisbane have received the first penalty of the game after Reece Walsh took exception to a heavy tackle on Deine Mariner after he fielded a kick.
2 min: Broncos prop Corey Jensen has been forced from the field for a HIA after an attempted tackle on Hull KR prop Sauaso Sue.
1min: We are underway with Pat Carrigan taking the first hit up off the kick-off from Hull's Mikey Lewis.
We are getting close to kick off now and it's 3 degrees in Hull. The national anthems of Australia and the United Kingdom are now being performed.
It doesn't get much bigger than this
Teams
Here's how the Broncos will line up after delaying announcing their team until 90 minutes before kick-off.
Jack Gosiewski will start in the secondrow in place of injured Cook Islands international Brendan Piakura, while Cory Paix has been handed the hooking duties with Ben Hunt on the bench. Aublix Tawha will make his Broncos debut from the bench, alongside Xavier Willison, Ben Talty and Hunt.
Hull KR named their team on Tuesday. Former Wests Tigers, South Sydney and Canterbury forward Tom Amone will make his debut for Hull KR after missing last weekend's Super League opening round loss to York with a broken hand.
The atmosphere is building in Hull.
