Hull KR head coach Willie Peters is backing Mikey Lewis to “own” the Super League Grand Final.
Star man Lewis has lit up the Super League in the last two seasons, his efforts last year winning him Man of Steel.
Now, Lewis has the opportunity once again to make his mark, this time at Old Trafford as his club chase what would be a historic treble.
Lewis stepped up in the final moments of the Robins’ Challenge Cup win with a clutch conversion that secured them their first trophy in over 40 years.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Reigning Man of Steel Mikey Lewis has ended NRL links by signing a new Hull KR contract until 2030
In the NRL Grand Final, the sport witnessed 23-year-old Reece Walsh come through for Brisbane Broncos in their dramatic win and having watched that, Peters saw a glimpse of how Lewis could make himself the main man in the Super League Grand Final.
“Obviously, that’s going to be up to Mikey. I mean, you look at what Reece Walsh did last weekend,” Peters said.
“It would have been at some stage that he said in his mind that he wants to go out and own this Grand Final. It doesn’t just happen.
“You’ve got to mentally… and he’s built his game. There’s no doubt Reece Walsh built his game to be able to win his last 10 games or like that but at some stage, I’m pretty confident that he would have mentally gone ‘I’m going to be a beast. I’m going to own this Grand Final’.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Craven Park erupted as Hull KR lifted the trophy after being crowned League Leaders’ Shield winners
“I think that’s where Mikey needs to be. He needs to mentally tap into that.
“That’s not to put pressure on him. We know he’s one of our x-factors and someone like Tyrone May, whose game’s been building and probably doesn’t get credit. Then we’ll go straight to Mikey because he’s scoring the tries.
“But Tyrone adds a lot to our attack and just our overall structures and how we look. He is a different player, but I want him to tap into that as well.”
While Peters does not see similarities between Lewis and Walsh in terms of their style of play, he likens the two in the way they have overcome criticism and centred themselves in the big moments that nobody can take away from them.
“Not so much in terms of player, but in terms of character and what they’ve had to deal with along the journey in terms of criticism and people looking at him like that,” he added.
“To be honest, I don’t know Reece. I’m going to get to meet him, but I don’t know him. So I can’t really comment too much on that. But he gets a lot of stick, doesn’t he?
“It seems and everything that he does, everyone focuses on that and zones in. And they’re very quick to knock him down.
“I think what he’s said at the moment, no one can ever take away that Grand Final from him, regardless.
“I heard him say that and obviously Mikey’s won a Challenge Cup. No one can ever take that away from him.
“But obviously now it’s wanting to win a Super League title. If he achieves that, no one can ever take that away from him.
“People are always going to have things that they’re going to say but if that happens, for Mikey at the moment, no one can take that away from him.”
How to watch
Live Betfred Super League
Saturday 11th October 5:00pm
The Super League Grand Final takes place at Old Trafford on Saturday October 11, live on Sky Sports.
The match will take place at 6pm, with coverage on Sky Sports from 5pm.