Hull KR's Jack Broadbent sets goal for 2025 after meteoric 2024 rise

Jack Broadbent has enjoyed a meteoric few months for Hull KR but aims to go even higher in 2025.

The utility player was one of Willie Peters’ many success stories this year having had a major impact since his mid-season move from Castleford.

Many thought he would just be a bit-part squad player having joined from struggling Castleford in April in a deal which saw Louis Senior and Corey Hall move the other way.

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But Broadbent quickly proved his worth to the Robins, to the extent he nailed down a starting spot in their first-ever Super League Grand Final.

The 24 year-old ousted both ex-Great Britain centre Ollie Gildart and former Parramatta star Tom Opacic for the Old Trafford decider against Wigan.

Broadbent, who scored seven tries in just 14 games, admitted: “If someone told me that at the start of the year I’d have snapped their arm off.

“But it didn’t come easy. I put a lot of hard work in and it wasn’t just given to me.

“You have to earn everything. I probably came in as fourth-choice centre and a bit of a utility player.

“I knew that and I knew it’d be a challenge. It’d have been quite easy to stay at Cas and be guaranteed to play every week.

“But I like a challenge. I always strive for improvement and I think it was the best thing for me at the time. Being at a club on the up, it’s really exciting especially when I met Paul [Lakin] and Willie. They pitched where they wanted to go and so far they’ve been right to their word.”

Broadbent has certainly done the hard yards. Having come through the academy at Leeds Rhinos, making his Super League debut in 2020, he spent time on loan at Featherstone (twice) and Batley.

Equally at home at wing or full-back, he moved to Castleford at the start of 2023 but is now signed up with Rovers until the end of 2027 as he bids to put down firm roots for the first time in his career.

The England Knights representative, who has just returned from Amsterdam publicising KR’s pre-season friendly there in January, added: “It was a real privilege to walk out at Old Trafford.

“It wasn’t the result we wanted but, on a personal level, as a year, it was a success. It’s something I’ve always done so far: tried to improve each year and take steps forwards, improving year in year out.

“This was another step forward in the right direction. But as a club and team we’ve still got room for improvement.

“Obviously, we want to go one step further. Next year will be good and exciting and hopefully we can keep moving forward in the right direction.”

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