28 September 2023 , 19:54
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Brad Schneider still thinks about Hull KR’s Wembley heartache but it’s firing him on to be a Grand Final winner.
The Aussie stand-off has been one of Super League’s big success stories this year after joining the Robins on a short-term deal from Canberra in July. He struck a golden point drop goal winner on debut at Leeds and did the same a week later against Wigan in the Challenge Cup semi-final. Rovers fell just short in last month’s final, though, when they were outdone by Leigh 17-16 in another extra-time classic.
Rookie Schneider, 22, missed touch with a penalty in the final throes, a costly error before Lachlan Lam’s drop-goal nailed glory for Leigh. They face the same opponents in Friday's Super League elimination play-off and Schneider conceded: “I still do think about Wembley, more how much it just hurts to lose a game like that. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
“But I use that hurt as motivation now. I don’t ever want to feel like that again. I’ll use that to keep striving for success. It’s more the whole thing of losing the final rather than that missed touch. We felt we could have done more and changed things but you live and learn. And we have learned a lot from that game.”
That is plain to see; Rovers have only lost once since and won their last five games - including thrashing Leigh 52-10 - to leave them in great nick for tomorrow’s latest rematch. Schneider, who has earned a dream move to NRL premiers Penrith for 2024, believes they are a better team now. He said: “We’ve grown a lot and each week we get better. We’ve come a long way, especially since Wembley, and want to be our best at the right times. I feel we are. We’re playing some good rugby going into Friday.
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“It’s still a bit of a whirlwind for me, to do what we’ve done in this short period I’ve been here. But it’s been such an enjoyable journey. I was really excited to come over to such a great club and do what we’ve done. And I still feel we’ve more to prove and achieve.”
Hull KR's Brad Schneider sinks to his knee and shows his dejection after his side lost the Betfred Challenge Cup final against Leigh at Wembley (PA) (PA)The dream is to deliver KR’s first league title since 1985 - and join Penrith’s superstars as a Grand Final winner himself. They face Brisbane in Sunday’s decider bidding to win a third successive NRL title. Will Schneider be giving any drop goal advice to their superstar Kangaroos half-back Nathan Cleary?
He said: “I don’t think I need to teach him too many things about that - he’s had a fair few in his time! It's exciting how much I can learn from Nathan Cleary. He’s one of the best halves in the world and he’s still developing as a player as well. To be alongside him is exciting and to see where I can go with my rugby league career, too.
"I’m pretty excited to get amongst that group seeing how dominant they are. Hopefully they do it Sunday. And it’d be great to go back a Grand Final winner myself.”