Robins too cool for 'Cats
Hull KR handed new coach Craig Sandercock his first win since taking charge with a 22-10 triumph away at Wakefield.
Last Updated: 12/02/12 6:00pm
Hull KR handed new coach Craig Sandercock his first competitive win since taking charge with a hard-fought 22-10 triumph away at Wakefield.
The Robins bounced back from their opening-round loss to reigning Stobart Super League champions Leeds with a gritty display on their travels.
However victory may have come at a price, with talismanic scrum-half Michael Dobson having to miss the majority of the game with a shoulder injury.
The pitch was only declared safe four hours prior to kick-off and, up until 30 minutes before the start, steel drums with burning wood inside them were scattered around the pitch in a bid to thaw it out.
It was Sandercock's side who caught fire first in attack though, opening the scoring in just the sixth minute when Micky Paea bundled his way over.
Wakefield's response came in the 18th minute, Isaac John slipping through a gap before Richie Mathers' cut-out pass allowed Ben Cockayne to score against the club where he enjoyed a highly-successful six-year spell.
Dived over
John was unable to convert, though, and the Wildcats fell 12-4 behind when Con Mika dived over after Jake Webster got up the highest to claim Dobson's clever chip kick.
Dobson added the extras but left the action soon afterwards, giving his Australian coach another injury concern so early in the season.
Rovers are already without long-term absentees Ben Galea and Blake Green, with the latter expected to miss the entire 2012 campaign due to a blood clot.
Cockayne had a try chalked off for a forward pass by Danny Washbrook but, with 31 minutes gone, Tim Smith's reverse pass cut the Robins wide open and allowed another of their former players, Andy Raleigh, to go over.
John this time slotted over the conversion to leave the hosts trailing by just two at the break, though his kick would be the last points Richard Agar's troops would muster during the afternoon.
They, crucially, failed to make the most of a 10-minute spell with an extra man, Scott Taylor being sent to the sin-bin for holding down Cockayne.
Their inability to cash in on their numerical advantage would cost them dear too as, with 58 minutes gone, Josh Hodgson charged through their line for a third try.
Any hopes of a Wakefield comeback then disappeared when Rhys Lovegrove, on the pitch despite suffering concussion, reached out to score a try with nine minutes remaining that wrapped up the two points for Rovers.