A ‘frustrated’ Willie Peters reckons star five-eighth Mikey Lewis will have no-one to blame but himself if a tripping incident in the seismic loss to Super League debutants York endangers his World Club Challenge and Vegas involvement.
Lewis, the 2024 Man Steel, will come under scrutiny from the match review committee after tripping rival Liam Harris after he had kicked the ball during the second half of York’s blazing 19-18 win at LNER Stadium, secured with a 76th minute Ata Hingano field goal.
In their first-ever Super League game, the Knights stunned the champions and winners of the British domestic treble on opening night, a week out from the Robins’ world title bout with Brisbane.
“You get what you deserve in this game - whatever he gets, he gets - straight up,” Peters said when asked about the Lewis incident.
“It was obviously a big point in the game … It was there to see. There’s not a great deal to say.
“He needs to learn from what he did and he needs to action it … because it was a key point in the game. He knows and he’s owned it but I want to see some action off the back of it.
“I am disappointed because Mikey’s come a long way in that area and it was a … whatever you call it, a brain explosion…
“I don’t know what to call it because he’s the only one who can know what happened at the time but we were in control then and we lost control of the back of it.”
The scores were locked at 6-6 at halftime after the promoted Championship side had scored first - but consecutive tries by Jai Whitbread - his second - and Jesse Sue had appeared to put Rovers in control.
Asked if he was concerned about Lewis facing further action, Peters said: “I don’t know what you usually get for trips, for putting your leg out like that. Usually a red (card)? What’s off the back of that? Well it is what it is, then.”
Tough back rower Dean Hadley pulled out in the warm-up after an adverse reaction to a pain killing injection in his ribs and is in doubt for the Broncos clash at a sold out MKM Stadium in Hull.
Former South Sydney, Canterbury and Wests Tigers star Tom Amone (broken hand) did not play but will be fit, Peters said.
Perhaps summing up the evening unintentionally, Peters said “last year’s gone”.
