BOTTOM'S UP

Jai trades in struggles for a tilt at the top

- by DAVE CRAVEN

AFTER playing so long for teams in the mire, Hull KR's Jai Whitbread is loving life at the top.

But he knows he still has to win something.

The Australian prop did the hard yards for much of his career.

He played for a Gold Coast Titans side that finished bottom of the NRL in 2019, winning just four games all year.

And after moving to Super League, Whitbread suffered relegation twice in three seasons, with Leigh and Wakefield.

But he is now striding forward for table-topping Rovers who are big favourites to lift the Challenge Cup against Warrington at Wembley on Saturday.

“Looking back, I'm grateful for the experiences I had at those clubs,” said Whitbread, 27.

“They taught me to continue to show up, don’t give in, and don’t throw in the towel.