Hull KR secured a dramatic 26-12 victory over cross-city rivals Hull FC during the Super League Magic Weekend at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
Two late tries broke a second-half deadlock to extend the winners' derby dominance.
The 251st meeting between the two sides sat level at 12-12 before Hull KR pulled ahead late in the match.
Mikey Lewis opened the scoring for Hull KR following a kick chase assisted by Jack Broadbent, who was making his 150th career appearance.
Rhyse Martin scored the second try for Hull KR off a short pass from Lewis, and Martin successfully converted five out of six kick attempts during the match.
Hull FC, currently sitting tenth in the Super League standings, fought back to equalize before the late surge from their rivals.
The deadlock was broken when Tyrone May chased down a delicate grubber kick from Jez Litten to score.
Jai Whitbread then capitalised on a late Hull FC error to cross the line and seal the victory for Hull KR.
Batchelor's Pre-Match Hopes
Prior to the match, Hull FC back rower Joe Batchelor expressed a strong desire to end their rivals' seven-game winning streak in the derby, which has lasted nearly three years.
Batchelor noted that recent performances had given the squad confidence.
"I think it's about time we put in a performance against them and give them a real good game and show them what we're about," said Joe Batchelor, Hull FC back rower, in an interview with Hull Live.
Batchelor acknowledged that while recent results had not been perfect due to injuries and suspensions, the team remained highly competitive.
"We didn't quite get there on Good Friday, but I think there's enough in that Wigan game last week to give ourselves a bit of confidence to take that next step forward and really take it to them," Batchelor said.
The back rower emphasized that the squad carried a massive responsibility into the weekend fixture to satisfy the fans.
"There are plenty of people here now that haven't managed to experience that win and I'm sure the fans think it's well overdue," Batchelor said.
"We've got responsibility on Saturday to make sure we put our best foot forward and hopefully that puts us in a position then to come away with the two points."
Reflecting on the competitive nature of their recent losses, Batchelor believed the team was close to turning tight defeats into victories.
"Results-wise have not been perfect," Batchelor said.
"But in the games we have lost, there's only been one or two where the scoreboard's gotten away from us, so imagine if we iced a couple of those games; it would be a different conversation, especially with sort of the injuries and suspensions we've had."
He added that the team could not afford to feel sorry for themselves and needed to maintain high performance levels.
"But no one's going to feel sorry for us on the back of those things," Batchelor said.
"We've just got to make sure we keep producing the best possible Hull FC performances every week and be right in each and every game."
According to Batchelor, the previous fixture against Wigan showed that the team was moving closer to their technical targets.
"I thought last week against Wigan was certainly a step forward and some of the stuff we've been working on recently all came out and we looked closer to where we want to be," Batchelor said.
However, he stressed that rugby league requires earning the right to win through sheer physicality every single week.
"But when the game kicks off, it all starts again," Batchelor said.
"It's a brutal game, rugby league, and you've got to earn that right every week.
You talk about the physicality, and if you don't get that right first and foremost, you're not in any game, so that's something we've got to learn a lesson on and make sure that we bring that first."
Looking ahead, Batchelor focused on establishing consistency and being more clinical during offensive opportunities.
"That's our main goal: to find some consistency in that area and get some details on the back of that that we want to work on," Batchelor said.
"We know we've got it in us now - we just need to be more ruthless when attacking moments come around, but we can take some confidence from recent weeks and use it for the rest of the year."
The back rower also opened up about his personal motivation to repay the club's staff and supporters after overcoming early-season soft tissue injuries.
"It's something I wanted to do when I got here," Batchelor said.
"Obviously it wasn't the best start for me and it wasn't the impression I wanted to leave on my teammates and the coaching staff and the fans."
Having now played a consistent run of games, he expressed gratitude toward the medical and coaching departments.
"I'm delighted to have been able to do that now, and hopefully I can repay the coaching staff, the medical staff, and everyone who has been putting the hard work in to make sure I can get this run of games in and keep on improving my performances and we get some wins as a result," Batchelor said.
Batchelor concluded by highlighting how a stable run in the lineup is helping him form crucial combinations on the field.
"I think now that I've got a consistent run in the team, I'm starting to build some partnerships," Batchelor said.
"I know as a right-side back rower, I'm going to get a lot of traffic defensively, and with the ball and stuff as well, I like to add some bits on that."
He reiterated his pride in defensive performance as the foundation for staying competitive in the Super League.
