Hull KR legend Paul Harkin explains why he wants to finally get rid of unwanted tag

Former Robins scrum-half, 66, made much than 150 appearances for the club, winning back-to-back titles, but is hopeless for existent unit to yet instrumentality implicit the mantle astatine Old Trafford connected Saturday

It is hard for Paul Harkin to comprehend it’s astir 40 years since helium was portion of the past Hull KR broadside to triumph a large trophy.

He hopes to yet suffer that tag connected Saturday and invited successful a caller acceptable of Robins heroes. A skilful scrum-half, Harkin featured successful a celebrated star-studded KR squad that secured back-to-back league titles nether the iconic Roger Millward successful 1985. The East Yorkshire nine bid to extremity their agelong hold to regularisation again erstwhile facing defending champions Wigan successful the Super League Grand Final.

Ex-Bradford, Halifax and Leeds ace Harkin, present aged 66, recalled: “It was a large broadside we had. Nearly each 1 of america was an international. There were the Hull lads who were terrific. But each the overseas players we had were apical radical arsenic well, similar Gordon Smith and Gary Prohm, who added a lot.

“I was 1 of the out-of-towners, coming from Wakefield, but we each got implicit to Hull arsenic overmuch arsenic we could and spent a batch of clip with them. We were each together. And Roger [Millward] was coach. As a scrum-half, successful those days helium was the champion going, truthful helium was idiosyncratic I truly looked up to. He didn’t accidental a batch to maine astir the 7 role. It was conscionable one-liners. But erstwhile helium said it helium meant it. He was good respected by everyone, adjacent the forwards. We each listened to him.”

Harkin was besides man-of-the-match successful KR’s John Player Trophy Final triumph implicit Hull earlier that twelvemonth and earned his solitary Great Britain headdress against France. However, Rovers inactive stay stuck connected conscionable 5 league titles from their long, 142-year history, which means they stay the butt of Hull FC jibes astir 'never winning thing since 1985.' Harkin, who played much than 150 games for the club, said: “It is unusual they’ve not won more.

“But there’s been a batch of downs for the nine since then. Not agelong aft that they were moving into the caller ground. I fundamentally had to determination connected due to the fact that they needed wealth to enactment down connected immoderate they needed to bash for that. I went for astir £40,000 backmost to Bradford.

“It was successful the doldrums for rather a fewer years. It was precise sad. But a pat connected the backmost to everyone astatine KR astatine the moment. The nine is rocking from bottommost to apical and it’s bully to see. Those supporters are unbelievable. It would beryllium large to spot them bash it connected Saturday. Willie Peters speaks precise good and has everyone onside He’s a small spot similar Roger successful that consciousness and I’m hoping they’ll bash it. But Wigan aren’t a atrocious broadside are they?”

KR’s day with Old Trafford volition beryllium adjacent much poignant fixed the legendary Brian Lockwood died earlier today. The erstwhile Castleford and Great Britain prop, a World Cup victor successful 1972 and Lance Todd Trophy victor erstwhile Rovers won astatine Wembley 8 years later, was 78. Harkin, who joined KR successful the aforesaid twelvemonth arsenic Lockwood successful 1978, said: “Brian lived successful Wakefield and had a pub. I was lone 19 but we’d question implicit unneurotic with radical similar Alan Agar, Locky and Geoff Clarkson.

“I got well-educated connected that hour’s trip! It was similar an apprenticeship. They were each large radical who got things started for KR successful that era. But Locky did it retired determination successful Australia, too, with Balmain and Canterbury. He was a existent character.”