Hull KR Power Past Catalans to Keep Top-Four Hopes Alive
Hull Kingston Rovers kept their Super League play-off ambitions firmly on track with a 28-10 win over Catalans Dragons at Sewell Group Craven Park on 13 August 2026.
The home side built a commanding 22-6 lead by half-time and never looked threatened after the break, closing out a result that keeps them fifth in the table and very much in the hunt for a top-four finish — the positions that secure a home play-off in rugby league's end-of-season knockout series.
Three first-half tries did the damage. Broadbent crossed twice, in the sixth and 19th minutes, while Litten added a third in the 12th, according to Sky Sports' match report. Winger Tommy Makinson, a familiar face to anyone who follows the England rugby league setup, also touched down in the corner during the second half, as listed on Hull KR's official club site.
For Catalans, the long trip from Perpignan to east Yorkshire yielded little in reply. Trailing 22-6 at the break, the French side could only manage four more points in the second period as Hull KR's defence held firm.
The result matters because of what follows. Hull KR's August fixture list, published on their club website, shows home games against Catalans and Warrington Wolves bookending an away trip to Castleford Tigers. With points at a premium in the closing weeks of the regular season, every win tightens the squeeze on the sides above them.
Head coach Willie Peters had named a 21-man squad for the fixture, and his selection reaped the reward. Broadbent's early double set the tone inside the opening 20 minutes, giving Catalans a mountain to climb.
BBC Sport reported that the win "kept up the heat" on the top four and boosted Hull KR's hopes of securing a home play-off — a significant advantage in a format where finishing higher in the table earns a more favourable path through the knockout rounds.
What gives the performance its edge is the margin. An 18-point victory over a Catalans side who have historically been awkward opponents on their travels is a statement of intent from a Hull KR team determined not to settle for a lower-seeded play-off berth. The half-time scoreline of 22-6 reflects a first 40 minutes in which the home side effectively settled the contest.
For a neutral, the broad picture is simple: Hull KR are fifth, within touching distance of the top four, and gathering momentum at exactly the right stage of the campaign. Their remaining fixtures offer the chance to pile on the pressure. Whether they can overhaul the sides above them will be one of the defining sub-plots of the run-in.
Sky Sports published highlights of the match shortly after full-time on the evening of 13 August.
