Willie Peters believes Hull KR have the best supporters in the league and has called on them to make Craven Park a hostile workplace for their cross-city rivals on Friday.
The Robins head into the derby looking to secure a third straight win but, more pressingly, to right the wrongs of last year. The Black and Whites defeated Rovers on their own patch last year in a defeat that Peters admitted hurt him more than any since his arrival at the club.
That's been a focus for the team this week and no doubt one for the fans too. As Rovers chase their third successive win, Peters stressed that the supporters have an important role to play.
"They've played a massive part for us since I've been here," Peters said. "I might be biased, but our fanbase is the best in the league. I've heard other teams talk about our fanbase and how passionate they are, so it's not just me.
"They stick solid when things aren't going so well, but we want them on Friday to be vocal; we want it to be hostile. Last year, we didn't give them enough to get excited about. But when it's buzzing when we get there, the players feel that. So be loud, but we need to give them something to enjoy too."
It was last July when the Black and Whites were celebrating at Craven Park, an image that still frustrates many involved that day. Explaining his thoughts that day, Peters said: "It was probably worse than the Challenge Cup, and I say that because we knew the importance of the derby game and we didn't reach anywhere near the levels of a KR side.
"We went away, and you only need to look at the way we played and the side that played earlier in the year and won 40-0, they were different teams. There were some different personnel, but in terms of the areas we valued, we didn't do it that day.
"That's what makes a great team—that you be consistent. We've been beaten twice this year, and even though we were nowhere near our best we still competed hard and the same for Warrington. There were errors we'd like to take back but that's not choice based. We know the standards we want to be at, and we weren't that day. We want a team our community will be proud of, and while they weren't vocal about it, they probably went away thinking that wasn't a KR performance that day."
He added: "The Challenge Cup there was a lot of heart and effort and we competed right to the end, and there were moments we could learn. Even though that was the hard way, it's easier to walk away from that a lack of effort and competing."
A lot of the build-up heading into the contest is how many Rovers will win by, not the actual outcome of the match. But for Peters, the focus is on ensuring his side play well rather than all the external conversation.
"We've got an understanding of how we think they're going to play," he said. "They've had games they've been in and others where they've been on the wrong end of the scoreboard. For us, we work more on ourselves than the opposition.
"Regardless of form or where they are on the ladder, they'll be coming to a place on Friday that's going to be buzzing. They'll get up for that, we're not going to worry too much around what they are and aren't going to do, we'll focus on what we can control which is attitude and discipline."
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