Hull KR will find it “incredibly difficult” to cope without the injured Mikey Lewis in their Super League showdown with Wigan, says Sky Sports expert Jon Wilkin.
Rovers host the Warriors on Friday night, live on Sky Sports Action, as they aim to continue their flawless start to the season.
However, they must do so without the influence of their exciting half-back Lewis, who misses the game after suffering a groin injury in the derby win over Hull FC in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
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Lewis picked up a hat-trick of tries and assists as he dominated the game against Huddersfield
Speaking on The Verdict, Wilkin said: “It’s incredibly difficult for Hull KR without Mikey Lewis.
“When you say Mikey Lewis isn’t playing for Hull KR and then you look at the speed and the footwork and the tactical awareness that (Jay) Field and (Bevan) French have got, then that becomes advantage Wigan.
“If they’ve got any hope, it’s that final 63 minutes of the derby game, the quarter-final against Hull, where they produced the goods. They were great in that last 63 minutes without Mikey.”
Craven Park will host a repeat of the 2024 Grand Final, in which Wigan Warriors became back-to-back champions with a 9-2 victory over Hull KR.
It has been an inconsistent start to the season for Matt Peet’s side, who have lost two of their opening six matches in the league and departed the Challenge Cup in the early stages.
But prop Tyler Dupree believes Wigan can rediscover their best form in Friday’s crunch game.
“These kinds of games are the ones that we play for,” Dupree told Sky Sports.
“We want to be involved in all the big games, and we want to put the Super League in a good position.
“We just need to get back to playing how we usually do and playing our best.”
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Wigan Warriors lift the Super League trophy after their win over Hull KR in the Grand Final at Old Trafford
‘The best of the best battling each other’
Dupree was full of praise for Hull KR, though, insisting it is no surprise to see such red-hot form from their opponents.
“They recruited well in the off-season and, they’ve always been there or thereabouts,” he said.
“For them to be starting as well as they have, I don’t think it really surprised anyone.
“They’re a great team and they’re doing all the right things.
“It’s another game. It’s a big game, but I think the focus has to turn to ourselves a little bit.”
Watch Hull KR take on Wigan Warriors, live on Sky Sports Action at 7:30pm on Friday.
