Hull KR beat Hull FC in Super League season opener

Hull KR scored five tries to beat Hull FC, who had two players sent off in the first match of the Super League season.

Rovers debutants Niall Evalds and Kelepi Tanginoa crossed in the first 20 minutes and Mikey Lewis also touched down to give the visitors a 14-0 lead.

Hull FC prop Franklin Pele was sent off for catching Elliot Minchella with a swinging arm just before the interval.

Matt Parcell and Evalds' second wrapped up a comfortable win, while the hosts' Ligi Sao was also dismissed late on.

Before Evalds' last-gasp score, Sao appeared to be sent off for contacting Parcell's head with his knee, with Parcell yellow-carded for his part in instigating the melee.

Hull KR had won 40-0 and 36-4 in their previous two away games against their neighbours, and the margin of this win would have been greater but for five kicking failures from six attempts.

Already eight points ahead and on top, this derby swung firmly in Rovers' favour with two key moments before half-time.

Lewis, who starred at half-back for England in their series win over Tonga at the end of 2023, wriggled away from home defenders to score the Robins' third try.

And the hosts had little room for complaint when referee Liam Moore showed a red card to Pele, who recklessly swung an arm towards the grounded Minchella having already tackled his opponent to the floor.

Aside from the final result against their city rivals, Hull FC's bid to improve on last season's 10th-place finish could not have started much worse.

They were disrupted before kick-off by centre Liam Sutcliffe's late withdrawal because of illness, while forward Joe Cator was forced off injured inside the first 10 minutes.

In addition, experienced hooker Danny Houghton failed a head injury assessment following a knock in the second period.

But Tony Smith's side were not helped by ill-discipline either, playing for more than half of the match with 12 men and the last few minutes with only 11.

Herman Ese'ese had already spent 10 first-half minutes in the sin-bin for a high tackle, before Pele and Sao were on the wrong end of harsher punishments.

Hull FC: Walker; Martin, Litten, Scott, McIntosh; Smith, F Brown; Ese'ese, Houghton, Pele, Okunbor, Sao, Cator.

Interchanges: Hoy, Lane, Ashworth, J Brown.

Sent off: Pele (39), Sao (73).

Sin-bin: Ese'ese (11).

Hull KR: Hiku; Evalds, Opacic, Gildart, R Hall; May, Lewis; Hadley, Litten, Whitbread, Tanginoa, Batchelor, Minchella.

Interchanges: Sue, King, Parcell, Aydin, C Hall.

Sin-bin: Parcell (73).

Referee: Liam Moore.