Hull KR advanced to the World Club Challenge for the first time in the club’s history after coming from behind to win 30-24 against the Brisbane Broncos at MKM Stadium.
The favorite was the traveling party when the Super League champions took on the NRL premiers, but the English competition proved the bookmakers wrong as they did in the second half of this competition.
Hull KR wreaked havoc on the Robins fans as they jumped out to a massive 18-4 lead at half-time thanks to converted efforts from Tom Amone, Elliot Minchella and Joe Burgess.
Brisbane fought back through Gehamat Shibasaki’s forward flying effort, but it was the English champions who were on pole position with 40 minutes remaining.
But they had to contend with a reshuffle as fullback and goalkeeper Arthur Mourgue looked set to pick up a shoulder injury and in the process moved Jez Litten to halves, Kyle Lawton to hooker and Mikey Lewis to fullback.
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Eliiot Minchella powered home Hull KR’s second try against the Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge.
The Robins came out flying in the second half, with Oliver Gildart and Peta Hiku leading the way before Rhyse Martin converted for a 30-4 lead.
But Brisbane’s incredible comeback began as Pat Carrigan, Deine Mariner and Shibasaki brought the score to 30-20 with less than 15 minutes remaining.
The stadium fell silent as Kotoni Staggs put the Broncos behind with just one conversion attempt after four minutes. But the Robins somehow held on to secure a monumental win.
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Deine Mariner and Patrick Carrigan scored in succession for the Brisbane Broncos to close the gap on Hull KR.
It marks Hull KR’s fifth Super League side to win the World Club Challenge and their third in succession, following St Helens’ resounding wins over the Penrith Panthers in 2023 and Wigan in 2024.
This leaves the Broncos, whose last win came in 1997, with three losses in those games, waiting to lift the world club.
The team that held all four trophies since Wigan Warriors in 2024 was St. Helens in 2007.
Hull KR join the upper echelon of rugby league as Brisbane returned home empty-handed.
Playing at the home ground of fierce rivals Hull FC, the Robins have done everything possible to make the stadium feel like their home, prominently displaying the red flag and playing the club anthem.
This created a partisan atmosphere as Rovers were roared by supporters who helped sell out the stadium.
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South Yorkshire band Reverend and the Makers welcome Hull KR and Brisbane Broncos for the World Club Challenge.
How they repaid their performance in the first half. Debutant Tom Amon was the first to react to Tyron May’s sloppy kick, opening the scoring in just seven minutes. Amon returned to Super League last year. Just a few months into his spell with the Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL, things haven’t gone as planned. A sweet moment for him.
The Broncos were stronger in yardage but suffered from errors. On their last trip to England, Brisbane lost to St Helens in 2007 and Eddie Hemmings famously joked that Darren Lockyer was human after all after missing a conversion. The mortality rate seems applicable to Reece Walsh as well, as the sport’s newest megastar inexplicably dropped a high kick cold to give Rovers another chance. They scored when talismanic captain Elliot Minchella popped in from Jez Litten’s crashed ball. After 13 minutes Rovers were 12-0 up.
Ten minutes later the Robins were 18-0 up against a shocked Broncos side when Staggs fumbled in his own area and Joe Burgess touched down Jez Litten’s threaded kick.
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Josiah Karapani performs an acrobatic feat as he gathers in the air and sets up Gehamat Shibaski to score for Brisbane Broncos against Hull KR in the World Club Challenge.
But Queenslanders have a history of comebacks. This game is not over. They fired warning shots about 30 minutes after they got on the scoreboard. Walsh’s crossfield kick was thrown back into the field by Deine Mariner and Gehamat Shibasaki was able to ground the ball. Reynolds was not converted.
Crucially Brisbane failed to score again before the break and Walsh scythed and went for glory, but his kick was too strong. To boos, Tom Davies touched down a cross-field kick as Brisbane went for another score, which drew louder cheers than any of the attempts.
Brisbane started the second half stronger and finished once again through Shibasaki. But crucially it was the Robins who scored first, Mariner fumbling a contested Lewis kick and the ball falling into the hands of Oliver Gildarts, repeating his effort from when Wigan beat Cronulla in 2017.
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Peta Hiku connected with Tyrone May Grubber to extend Hull KR’s lead over the Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge.
Martin converted and another seven minutes later and Rovers were five points ahead after Peta Hiku first reached another short kick.
But incredibly, the game isn’t over yet. Brisbane were behind in each of last year’s finals and the Robins scored three tries in five minutes to make it an extremely tense ending.
Captain Pat Carrigan was the first over after assisting Ben Talty with a break. On the kick-off return the visitors broke past Rovers down the right and Mariner scored again when he rounded Mikey Lewis.
This brought the arrears down to 14, and within a few minutes they were down to 10 as Shibasaki got his second on a cutout pass from Walsh. Reynolds hit the post, but the jubilation soon turned to anxiety.
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Deine Mariner and Patrick Carrigan scored in succession for the Brisbane Broncos to close the gap on Hull KR.
At this point the rover was holding on. Brisbane found their groove and challenged Rovers on almost every play. By any means necessary, they found a way to stop them.
When the penalty was awarded, they looked like they had caught a bit of a break. But Lewis couldn’t find the touch and moved the ball left and right before the Stags went in. Reynolds missed, but the game was up by one point with 4 minutes left.
But time was running out. Ezra Mam failed to track down his kick with time remaining and the game ended when Josiah Karapani was unable to catch Walsh’s looping pass on the final play. Rovers were initially relieved but later celebrated with joy as they completed their trophy haul.
2026 Super League – Key dates and things to watch out for
- Las Vegas Rugby League: Saturday February 28th: Hull KR vs Leeds Rhinos11:30 PM (sky sports)
- Super League 30th Anniversary: Thursday March 26th: Castleford Tigers v Bradford Bulls8pm (sky sports)
- Rival Round: April 3 – April 5
- Paris Super League: Saturday June 6th: Catalan Dragons v Wigan Warriors (Paris)6:30 UK (sky sports)
- Magic Weekend: July 4th – July 5th
- Rival Round Reversal: July 23rd – July 26th
- Elimination playoffs: September 19th – September 20th
- playoff semifinals: September 26 ~ September 27
- Grand Finals: October 3, Old Trafford.
sky sports We will be broadcasting live again every Super League match this season. Two matches from each round will be broadcast exclusively live, while the remaining five matches will be shown weekly on Sky Sports+.
