Hull take bragging rights and keep up play-off chase
TRIES LEAD THE WAY AGAINST KR
Hull FC claimed the derby bragging rights with a 31-16 win over Hull KR at the Totally Wicked Stadium. Bureta Faraimo and Ratu Naulago each scored two tries as FC improved their chances of making the play-offs.
Analysis
Last night’s derby was 2020 in microcosm: unprecedented, unsettling and all a bit bizarre.
A fixture that deserved a full house at Craven Park instead got an eerie atmosphere at an empty stadium 120 miles away in St Helens.
It was a flat build-up to one of the biggest games of the Super League season and the match itself did not have a derby feel.
In the end FC had too much quality for the plucky Robins as they retained the Clive Sullivan Trophy with something to spare.
Rovers had to give up home advantage and were playing their third game in eight days on the back of a wretched run of form.
By contrast, , FC hammered
Kane Linnett gets the ball down for KR
Castleford Tigers in their last outing and had 10 days to prepare for the derby.
KR actually made the brighter start but it was Hull who opened the scoring in the ninth minute on the back of a rampaging run down the left wing by Faraimo.
Dean Hadley opens Rovers’ account
Tries: Bowden, Faraimo 2, Naulago 2, Sao; Goals: Sneyd 3/6; DG: Sneyd
The Robins eventually pulled him down but FC shifted the ball out to the right where Josh Bowden coasted over.
Tony Smith’s side had collapsed after conceding the first try in six of their previous seven games and alarm bells would have been ringing g g in i the Rovers camp. But they came back hard and got on the board through Hull old boy Dean Hadley, who dummied his way over after good interplay between Jordan Abdull and Kane Linnett.
KR were unable to build on that promising moment as Shaun Kenny-dowall coughed the ball up from the restart and Faraimo t touched down from Jake Connor’s neat kick with the Robins outnumbered on their right edge.
Back came Rovers and they were right back in it when Linnett powered his way over on the last tackle.
But the Robins made another mistake coming out of their own end through Ben Crooks and were punished again as Naulago finished spectacularly in the corner.
FC looked like scoring every time they got near the KR line and grabbed a decisive fourth try just before half-time through Ligi Sao – his first for the club – after keeping the ball alive.
The Robins needed to score first after the break to make a game of it but more soft defence from their right edge allowed Faraimo to touch down when he had no right to score.
After a quiet period Naulago went over in the corner and Marc Sneyd kicked a drop goal to rub salt into KR wounds.
Crooks scored his 11th try of the season after Connor went off clutching his leg and that proved to be the last meaningful action of a strange derby.
Key moment
Rovers were in the contest at 12-12 but Crooks made an unforced error inside his own 20 and there was no way back after Naulago touched down.
Good day – Jake Connor
The mercurial playmaker lives for these games and he delivered with four try assists. There will be some concern in the FC camp after he hobbled off late on but it looked like a precaution.
Bad day – KR’S right edge
It has been a problem area all year and Hull had a field day at the
Totally Wicked Stadium. Nick Rawsthorne, Kenny-dowall and Mikey Lewis all struggle defensively and they were given a torrid time by Faraimo and Mahe Fonua.
The bigger picture
What happens next is up in the air, with Super League clubs set to meet on Monday to decide whether to end the regular campaign and expand the play-offs. It could well be that KR have played their final game of 2020, whereas FC will hope to be involved in the shake-up.