Mikey Lewis: How 'owning' a moment in the Super League Grand Final became the making of the man

A moment is defined as 'an indefinitely short period of time'. But, that short period of time can be the making of a man.

Moments can be fleeting, joyous, ecstatic, crushing; they can feel like they are lasting a lifetime or like they have passed by too quickly.

They can define you, make you or break you; they can take you to your highest of highs or your lowest lows. They can haunt and they can highlight. They can be a second to cherish or a second to forget.

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On October 11 at Old Trafford, Mikey Lewis had his moment.

In the build-up to the Super League Grand Final, Hull KR's star man Lewis was tasked by his head coach Willie Peters to 'own' his moment in a similar vain to how Brisbane Broncos' 23-year-old star Reece Walsh had owned the NRL Grand Final.

Walsh found a beast mode, entered it, and it was clear he was not walking off that field without a winner's ring on his finger.

While not similar in their playing styles, Lewis and Walsh are on a similar trajectory - criticised, analysed, and a player opposition fans love to hate.

Peters wanted Lewis to have that moment, that fleeting period of time that could not be taken away from him no matter what. He got it.

Opening the scoring for Hull KR in their 24-6 demolition of Wigan Warriors to secure a historic treble, Lewis guided his team around the park, taking home the Rob Burrow Award for a player-of-the-match showing.

He stepped up to the plate. He delivered. He had a fleeting moment that will live with him forever. As Peters predicted, he delivered something no one could take away from him.

After the moment, the emotions hit, and as he let the tears flow, Lewis knew he had etched his name into the big game history books as Hull KR became a Super League giant. His redemption had arrived.

Now? He wants to become one of the greats. He wants to be a man of many moments plural, not singular.

"We fell short last year against Wigan and we've come back for redemption and we've got the job done," Lewis said.

"I just wanted to go out there and I know that I didn't play as well as I could last year.

"I was nowhere near, obviously, in that big moment and I thought this is redemption and a second chance to show the world. I'd probably just prove it to myself that I can do it if I put my mind to it fully and fully invest in it and have the right mindset.

"I want to keep doing it and keep doing it because that's what the greats do. It's one game where I've proved myself that I can do it. I just want to keep doing it every big game.

"One game doesn't make me a great player. It's a step closer, but I want to keep proving myself. We've still got a lot of years left, so hopefully when I hang own my boots up I can look back and think I was actually a really good player."

The butterfly effect and the making of Mikey

Following a moment, it then becomes about how that moment changes things in the future.

They say a butterfly flapping it's wings can be involved in causing an earthquake weeks later. A seemingly insignificant movement can change the whole course and trajectory of someone's life.

Now what was that butterfly for Lewis? Was it the Grand Final loss in 2024? Was it that conversion in the Challenge Cup final? Was it committing his future to Hull KR?

Whatever it was, it led him to a night which his head coach believes has made him, it has completed him. Lewis has reached his full form.

"Mikey Lewis knew before this game that he had to take those big moments and go after the game a bit more. Tonight was the perfect opportunity for him. Tonight is the making of Mikey Lewis, no doubt about it," Peters said.

"We know he's a very good player, but he wants to chase greatness. This is the start of that.

"My players are all legends to me. There's no doubt. We're the fifth team to do it [treble in the Super League era]. This team has to be remembered as a champion team."

He added: "Obviously Rob Burrow, absolute champion of our game. And for Mikey to win that, it's such a huge honour.

"No-one played braver than Rob. And no-one was braver than Rob to the end. So what he's about as a person.

"And Mikey, there's no better person than Mikey to receive that award."

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Mikey Lewis: How 'owning' a moment in the Super League Grand Final became the making of the man