'Emotional' - How Peters told Hull KR he was leaving

Willie Peters has spoken about the "emotional meeting" at which he broke the news to his Hull Kingston Rovers players that he would be leaving Craven Park at the end of this season.

The Australian coach is heading back to the NRL for his first senior coaching role in that competition, in charge of the new PNG Chiefs franchise in 2027.

He revealed his decision to the squad on Thursday morning and they responded with a 52-10 thrashing of St Helens which was their third win in four games in all competitions after a poor start to their defence of the Super League title.

Peters told BBC Radio Humberside: "Once I had the information I wasn't going to hold that back from the players, the CEO and the board, so I had conversations with Paul [Sewell, chairman], and then spoke to the team.

"It was an emotional meeting, me letting them know what I was looking to do, because we've built a family environment here and we're all close."

Peters has overseen the most successful season in the club's history, cleaning up all three domestic trophies before beating Brisbane Broncos in February to add the World Club Challenge to the cabinet.

"To do what we did last year builds stronger connections and stronger relationships and at the end of the year when we do move on we'll have friends for life in east Hull," he added.

"It wasn't easy to let the players know, but it gave them clarity, and our aim now is just to make sure we give this season everything it deserves.

"The players did that last Friday night and I want to pay credit to them because it was a difficult week."

Peters asked the Robins to put out a statement quickly following the win over Saints, as he did not want his news to cast a shadow over the sell-out Good Friday derby against Hull FC.

"I don't want it to be about me this week, I want it to be about the derby," he said. "This game is a huge game, a sell-out again here at our stadium and will be absolutely buzzing."

After his successful stay in East Yorkshire, Peters says it will be a wrench, but the urge to take over in Papua New Guinea was too strong to resist.

"I've obviously got mixed emotions," he said. "Everyone was aware that at some stage of my career, if I got the opportunity to coach in the NRL, that I'd like to take that opportunity, but it didn't make my decision any easier.

"It's an opportunity that is so different to any other role. What appealed to me was that you're representing a country, the people of PNG.

"To do that for a country that is absolutely rugby league-mad is definitely what appealed to me."