Elliot Minchella warns Hull KR pals going top of Super League was only the start
ELLIOT Minchella admits there was no point winning at Warrington if Hull KR do not back it up against Castleford.
Rovers seemingly broke through a glass ceiling with the victory that put them top of Super League until Wigan won Tuesday’s game in hand.
Now after proving they can do it away from home, Willie Peters’ men are back at Craven Park against Castleford.
And skipper Minchella knows what needs to be done.
He said: “If we don’t perform tonight, that result at Warrington means nothing. We’ve got to win that and back it up. That’s the message.
“It was nice to be top but you don’t win anything for being there in early August. We want to be in the top two at the end of the season.
“We’re pleased we were there but you don’t win any medals now.
“And the immediate aim is tonight, simple as that. We all know you get a home semi-final if you finish in the top two but we’ve not even spoken about that yet.
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“If you start looking at the end goal, you don’t worry about what’s right in front of you. If we don’t nail tonight, there’s no point in thinking about it.
“Last week was just a victory. It was a great one, a tough, gritty one but it doesn’t make your season. If we lose the next five, so what?”
A win by more than 14 points would send Rovers back to the top for one night at least.
However, tests on the road against Catalans, St Helens, Wigan and Leigh lie ahead and loose forward Minchella knows that is where champions will be decided.
The 28-year-old added: “Before Warrington, we knew our away record wasn’t the best and we’d spoken about that, tried to address it and not shy away from it. We’ve got to be honest with ourselves.
“If we’re going to get to where we want to be, we have to win those sorts of games but it was just two points.
“That’s what all the best teams do, though. You can’t just win your home games and hope for the best in the away ones.”