Willie Peters proud of Hull KR to the end despite play-off disappointment

After a sixth-place finish left them with the hardest route to the Grand Final, Rovers fell at the first hurdle on Saturday night.

Matty Ashton scored a hat-trick as Warrington punished Peta Hiku's rush of blood to book a semi-final date with Leeds Rhinos at Headingley.

The centre saw red in the early stages of the second half and KR ultimately ran out of steam in a 35-12 defeat.

Peters had been hoping to bow out at Old Trafford but the disappointment did not take the shine off his transformative four-year spell.

"I'm really, really proud to have been the head coach of this club," he said.

"My family and I have had the best four years of our lives. We've had incredible times and it's brought us closer together as a family.

"There's a lot of love in this club. It's a special club. We've had memories that will last a lifetime.

“We wanted to win silverware and we’ve done that. We’ve got an identity about the way we play and what we’re about as a club.

"There's no doubt this club is in a really good spot."

KR also lost Tom Davies to a fractured eye socket in the opening minutes, setting the tone for a difficult night.

Rovers reduced the deficit to 16-12 in the second half before falling away.

"You don't want to lose and miss out on a Grand Final," said Peters. "But the players fought to the end.

"What's cost us a lot this year has been our discipline. That showed tonight.

"Credit to Warrington. They played really well and have all year. I'm still very, very, very proud of this group.

"I don't think the score reflected the effort we put in. If you put in your best, you can walk away saying you fought to the end.

"But there were some tries that we gave them. That was the disappointing area for me."

Peters refused to condemn Hiku for his red card for an apparent punch on George Williams.

“They say he clenched his fist – it wasn’t much but the rules are the rules,” shrugged Peters. "What I saw was a bit of a tap but what do you do?"