Rovers have lost Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Michael McIllorum but new leaders are emerging in the squad
11:27, 23 Jan 2026Updated 11:30, 23 Jan 2026
Hull KR’s Jez Litten (Image: )
In saying goodbye to the retiring Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Michael McIllorum at the end of last season, Hull KR saw around 750 games and 20 years worth of top-level experience depart the building. The great servants to the game got a fitting send-off with the treble success, but left some questions as to who would step up to provide that leadership alongside captain Elliot Minchella.
As Hull KR’s pre-season begins to wind down and preparations for a huge opening few weeks to the year come into focus with the looming World Club Challenge and Las Vegas trip, any concerns on the leadership front look to have been dispelled.
The message emanating from within the Rovers camp is one of delight at the way the senior players within the squad have all taken it upon themselves as a collective to ensure standards are the highest possible and that those standards are met each day.
No doubt building on the confidence gained from winning the treble last season, there is talk of a new feel to the Rovers squad born not from arrogance but belief in what can be achieved and what could still lie ahead, based on he events of last year.
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While that team approach to ensuring collective responsibility has impressed the coaching staff, one player appears to be raising his head above the group by taking his own efforts to a new level.
Jez Litten is he player on the lips of many down at Craven Park after a pre-season which has seen him emerge as one of the main leaders in the dressing room. Insiders have spoken to Hull Live about how impressive the hooker has been throughout the winter, pointing to a player who returned from international duty with a new air of confidence about him.
Litten was a standout performer for England against the Australians in the autumn Test series and looks to have taken huge confidence from his performances, with reports the 27-year-old has taken his game up another level and has emerged as a key leader of this evolving team.
There was significant praise for Litten following the training camp in Tenerife with talk of how he set the bar in his approach to each session, with the player praised for his work with the younger players.
There was no doubt 2025 was a fantastic year for the homegrown star, who will be a key player for Willie Peters once again in the heart of the team. With a World Cup at the end of the year, it will be interesting to see from an England perspective as well as a Rovers one, how much Litten stamps his presence on the Robins team and the Super League competition.