16 November 2023 , 20:28
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Rising England star Mikey Lewis has signed a bumper new deal with Hull KR - and thanked boss Willie Peters for sorting his head out.
The razor-sharp scrum-half, who dazzled on his Test debut against Tonga last month, has agreed a new five year contract which takes him through to the end of 2028. It’s a big boost for the improving Challenge Cup finalists as they build for the future. Hull-born Lewis - who was already under contract until 2025 - said: “I’m over the moon to sign the new deal. I’m really happy where I am now and looking forward to what the future holds.
“This season has been massive for me. As a whole team we’ve come so far over the last few years to how we performed last year, getting to the Challenge Cup final, finishing fourth and making the play-off semi-finals."
On the impact of Robins coach Peters, the 22 year-old added: "Willie’s done a lot of things on and off the field. He’s helped me get into the mental shape I wanted to get into and he’s been a great influence on helping me improve on the field too.”
Peters added: "I’m extremely happy to see Mikey extend his time at Hull KR. With Mikey being a homegrown player who’s come through our system, it’s a credit to everyone involved at the club who’s helped Mikey get to where he is now. It’s huge for the club and wouldn’t be possible without the fantastic support from our board.
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"We want to keep our homegrown talent at the club and we want to keep them long term. We’ve certainly proved that by locking in Mikey for five years and Jez Litten long-term too. If you look at Mikey’s year, he played nearly every game this season. The most pleasing part for me is seeing the growth in Mikey as a person, as well as a player. I’ve seen a lot of growth with him this year.
Hull KR's Mikey Lewis rips up Tonga on his England debut last month (PA)‘There were times this year on the field when he was the only recognised spine member in the side and he carried the team on his shoulders. I thought he did a great job of that. He took on some responsibilities that didn’t come natural to him at the start of the year, but definitely helped him to develop his game.
"Mikey was then deservedly rewarded with getting in the England team. It just shows where he’s at with his rugby in this first two games (against Tonga). Especially the first game against Tonga, he was the main difference. There are only a few players that have the qualities that Mikey has. Now it’s about combining that with working hard, making sacrifices and he’ll be on track to becoming one of the best players in this competition."