Hull Kingston Rovers have two players named in this year's Super League Dream Team with Mikey Lewis and Elliot Minchella included - but Peta Hiku among the noteworthy absentees.
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters had said in the lead-up to the announcement: "I think we've had some really strong performances from a number of players this year and we finished second in the ladder so you'd like to think we'd get two or three in."
Lewis has given an X-factor to Rovers' attacking while developing other areas of his game such as open-play, tactical kicking and defence. Captain Minchella has been a leader with a whole-hearted manner, regularly giving valuable solidity and work rate as loose forward. His absence is felt when he is not there and that is reflected by next week's hearing, that Rovers have chosen to pursue, trying to reduce his current ban.
Hiku has been a creative spark who has shown vision and class, while also using power effectively, having made the switch into the centres from full back early in the season. But another impressive performer, Nene Macdonald of Salford Red Devils, is in the centres.
Peters had publicly backed Hiku for the Dream Team a month ago, saying: "There's no doubt he'd be one of the centres for me in the Dream Team, that's for sure." At the time, Hiku, crediting team mates around him for helping his success, responded: "When you hear that coming from a big dog in your club, you must be doing something right, but for me it's about keeping doing what I'm doing."
Rovers' biggest presence in a Dream Team was in 2009 when they had four players - Michael Dobson, Ben Galea, Clint Newton and Peter Fox - in a season in which they finished fourth under Justin Morgan. That was the only top-four finish in the Super League era for Rovers until they repeated that fourth-placed finish in 2023 in Peters' first season in charge before the team kicked on again this season. The club's regular season performance this season - 21 wins and six defeats - was so strong that they finished 10 points clear of fourth place this season, which was Salford on 32 points.
The 2024 Super League Dream Team included four players from League Leaders' Shield winners Wigan Warriors. England centre Jake Wardle is the only member of the 2023 Dream Team to retain his place, and his Wigan and England team-mate Luke Thompson is the only other player to have been previously selected – when he was at St Helens in 2019. They are joined by prolific wing Liam Marshall, who is the season’s leading try-scorer with 27, and 20-year-old second-row Junior Nsemba – two of the debutants in this year’s Dream Team.
Third-placed Warrington Wolves have three players included. Matt Dufty is selected at full-back – the only Australian in the team – and is joined by two more England internationals hoping to face Samoa this autumn, with Matty Ashton on the opposite flank to Marshall, and Danny Walker at hooker.
A future Hull KR player - Leeds Rhinos’ goalkicking second-row Rhyse Martin - is the only player not involved in the play-offs to earn selection for the Dream Team, which is determined by votes from the same panel of experts who watch every Betfred Super League fixture to determine the Man of Steel.
The 2024 Betfred Dream Team will be presented with their shirts by Paul Sculthorpe MBE, the two-time Man of Steel who was recently inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame, at a media event on Monday.
“I’ll be honoured to present the players with their Dream Team jerseys,” said Sculthorpe. “It’s a reflection of outstanding form all through the Super League season, and it’s great to see that recognised. We’re lucky to be able to watch these guys week in week out, and now going into the play-offs.”
Full 2024 Super League Dream Team:
1. Matt Dufty (Warrington)
2. Matty Ashton (Warrington)
3. Nene Macdonald (Salford)
4. Jake Wardle (Wigan)
5. Liam Marshall (Wigan)
6. Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)
7. Marc Sneyd (Salford)
8. Matty Lees (St Helens)
9. Danny Walker (Warrington)
10. Luke Thompson (Wigan)
11. Rhyse Martin (Leeds)
12. Junior Nsemba (Wigan)
13. Elliot Minchella (Hull KR)
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