Willie Peters has asserted that it was the right call to leave Hull KR star Mikey Lewis out on Saturday, despite the club losing, claiming that it would have been ‘selfish’ to play the former Man of Steel.
Lewis was handed a two-match ban for his actions against Warrington on Tuesday night, however, that ban does not come into force until Thursday’s game against Wigan Warriors.
As such, it was a surprise to see him left out of the 21-man squad to face Toulouse but Peters made it clear at his press conference on Friday that Lewis and Tevita Pangai Jr, who was handed a four-game ban but like Lewis was eligible for this weekend, had been dropped as a punishment for their ill discipline.
Following Saturday’s 32-12 loss, which now puts some doubt over the club’s top six status, Peters spoke to BBC Radio Humberside and was asked if he still held the view that it was the correct call.
“The selfish choice for me today would be to play those guys,” the Australian said.
“I want to leave this club in a better place from where I got it. In terms of trophies, we’re in a better place but culture is so important to me.
“If people keep doing things over and over and there’s no consequence, then you never learn.”
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Peters would go on to make clear that he would have loved to have Lewis out there, though he was equally clear on the fact that leaving him out was a decision that will only better the club in the long-term.
He admitted: “Of course I’d love to have Mikey out there. Mikey is a great player. He’s going to be a great player for this club for many, many years but I want him to get to greatness.
“I want him to be at the top of the tree in terms of where we are at Hull KR, but also in England Rugby League. He’s not there yet. He knows there’s things he needs to work on. One of them is around actions on the field and different things that happen.”
For Peters, it was about learning lessons, as he added: “If he looks at this from the decision and why we made the decision, and he looks and understands at which he does, in two years’ time we’re going to be still very close. I’m hoping he goes, that’s the day that I learn a fair bit.
“Would I have liked Mikey Lewis out there today with his teammates? We want him out there every week but we want him out there making sure that, as I said, he’s disciplined in line with what our standards are. There’s been some things where he knows that he’s probably gone overboard without consequence.
“It was a decision made for the longer term future of the club, not for today, but absolutely, Mikey Lewis is going to be part of this squad for many years. He’s going to be a great player for Hull KR and, as I said, for England.”
Mikey Lewis’ ban will now come into force, meaning he will miss Thursday’s game against Wigan Warriors and the round 26 clash against Huddersfield Giants, though he will be back in time for the round 27 game against St Helens.
With St Helens having closed the gap to just two points behind Hull KR in the race for the play-offs, that round 27 finale could be massive with Lewis potentially returning for a win or go home-style match-up.
