A Clint Newton hat-trick helped the Robins to record a convincing victory over Challenge Cup winners Warrington, although injuries to Scott Murrell, Jake Webster and Ben Cockayne took a degree of gloss off the result.

After a week's rest, the Robins welcomed Challenge Cup winners Warrington to Craven Park for their last home game of the regular season. The Red and Whites were looking to secure a third-place finish in the playoffs, and Scott Murrell returned from a foot injury to strengthen their side. Rhys Lovegrove missed the game to attend the birth of his first child, and Ben Fisher was given another week's rest. Ben Galea switched to the bench, with Chev Walker starting in his place and Scott Wheeldon was recalled as Justin Morgan rotated his squad ahead of the playoffs.

The Robins wasted no time in letting the Wolves know that their Cup success would mean nothing - Clint Newton producing a thunderous hit on Chris Riley as the winger returned the first clearing kick of the game. However it was the visitors who put the first points on the board.

Lee Briers dummied and broke through the Rovers' defence, and Mickey Higham was in support to touch down. Briers converted but the Red and Whites were swiftly back on level terms.

Michael Dobson took the ball to the line, found Shaun Briscoe and his pass put Jake Webster into space. The Kiwi had Liam Colbon on his outside, but as the defence came across, he cut inside and powered away from three Wolves to dive over.

Dobson converted, but the visitors came back, with Briers again pulling the strings. His chip across had to be knocked dead by Colbon, but after the drop-out, Briers' short ball allowed Tyrone McCarthy to spin out of a tackle and touch down.

Briers added the extras, but again the Red and Whites hit straight back. Two long passes from Daniel Fitzhenry and Dobson got the ball quickly wide, and Paul Cooke took full advantage, throwing a dummy and tearing through to score wide out.

Dobson's kick drifted just wide, but as the game flowed from end to end, the Wolves looked to add to their lead, and only video referee Phil Bentham prevented them from doing so.

Higham looked to drive over from dummy half, Fitzhenry and Ben Cockayne stopped him just short, but the Warrington hooker suddenly twisted out of the tackle and touched down. Referee Richard Silverwood passed the decision on to the video referee, and after some deliberation, Bentham ruled that Higham had made a significant second effort to get the ball down and awarded a penalty.

That was a slice of luck for the Robins, and they made the most of it in the final ten minutes of the half, running in a pair of tries to lead by ten points at the interval.

Newton capped a strong first half display with a storming long range try. The back-rower spotted Louis Anderson receiving treatment just behind the play-the-ball and charged down the short side straight at him, powering out of the Kiwi's attempted tackle and sprinting away to score.

Dobson converted and on the stroke of half time, Kris Welham bagged what is becoming a trademark try. Richie Mathers' long looping pass bounced between two Wolves and Welham swooped in to snap up the ball and scorch 70 metres to touch down, with Dobson's conversion completing the half.

Half-Time: Hull KR 22      Warrington Wolves 12

Having finished the first period strongly, the Robins looked to carry on with their momentum, but the Wolves showed their intentions straight away. Michael Monaghan shot up the short side and sent Louis Anderson through a hole, he found Chris Riley, but assisted by Newton, Shaun Briscoe did superbly to pull the winger down.

Warrington were showing a willingness to keep the ball alive as they looked to cut the Robins' lead, but Newton was playing out of his skin, producing a series of crucial tackles to stop the Wolves' momentum.

However it was the visitors who were dominating field position and looking the most likely to score, but the Red and Whites' defensive effort was frustrating the Challenge Cup winners.

Adrian Morley's powerful charge put the Wolves in prime field position, Monaghan took the ball down the short side and fired out a flat ball to Lee Mitchell. But with the line at his mercy, Mitchell inexplicably spilled the ball.

That turned out to be a crucial moment, as the Robins wasted little time in extending their advantage, and once again it was Welham's defensive pressure which was vital.

Briers slung out a terrible ball which Welham again snapped up, and although the young centre tore away into the clear, he chose to hand the ball on for Peter Fox to finish the 85-metre breakaway.

Dobson added the extras as the hour mark approached, and Welham showed his defensive abilities once again as Paul Rauhihi charged over the line, only for the youngster to get under the ball and stop the prop from getting it down.

That was only a brief reprieve though, as Briers took the ball down the short side on the next play and fired out a cut-out ball to send Chris Hicks in at the corner.

But the Robins again emphasised their dominance when Dobson sent Newton powering over for his second try three minutes later, Dobson converting, but only a superb last-ditch tackle prevented the Wolves from cancelling the score out.

Matty Blythe looked a certain scorer as he dived over at the corner, but video replays showed that Briscoe had dislodged the ball as the youngster tried to touch down. That allowed the Robins to finish in style, with Newton gleefully completing his hat-trick.

A looping ball from Briers was intercepted by Colbon, who did superbly to stay in the field of play, and a couple of tackles later, Dobson flicked a cut-out ball down the short side to put Colbon away down the line. Mathers came across to close the winger down, but Newton was in support and dived over for his third score.

Dobson's conversion brought up the 40-point mark and completed a good win for the Red and Whites.

Full-Time: Hull KR 40      Warrington Wolves 16

Hull KR: 1. Shaun Briscoe; 2. Peter Fox, 19. Kris Welham, 4. Jake Webster, 5. Liam Colbon; 6. Paul Cooke, 7. Michael Dobson; 20. Mick Vella, 15. Daniel Fitzhenry, 18. Scott Wheeldon; 11. Clint Newton, 3. Chev Walker, 13. Scott Murrell.

Replacements: 12. Ben Galea, 28. Ben Cockayne, 16. Jason Netherton, 8. Nick Fozzard.

Warrington: 30. Richie Mathers; 19. Chris Riley, 21. Matty Blythe, 13. Vinnie Anderson, 23. Chris Hicks; 6. Lee Briers, 7. Michael Monaghan; 8. Adrian Morley, 14. Mickey Higham, 16. Garreth Carvell; 11. Louis Anderson, 24. Ben Harrison, 12. Ben Westwood.

Replacements: 18. Michael Cooper, 10. Paul Rauhihi, 28. Tyrone McCarthy, 22. Lee Mitchell.

Referee: Mr R. Silverwood          Attendance: 8,579