Hull deserve their play-off place, now it’s time to fulfil their full potential
HULL FC will look to prolong their season and seal a place in the semifinals of the Super League play-offs tonight at Warrington Wolves.
Opinion
It’s been a season of twists and turns, ups and downs, good and bad news, but amazingly Hull FC have come through it all to sit just two wins away from a Grand Final.
They’ve benefited from a touch of fortune with the play-offs being extended to include the top six, but they landed that sixth spot on merit and after the topsy-turvy year they’ve had few would begrudge them a shot at landing the top prize.
With the loss of Lee Radford, lockdown, their own coronavirus outbreak, games being called off and arranged with 24 hours’ notice, they’ve been put through the wringer. But they now have the chance to achieve what was spoken about so much when they were laying out their plans for the season. Winning something was the aim but the Super League trophy was right at the top of that list, with player after player coming out and making that abundantly clear.
Hull were a side being tipped for success following an impressive haul of off-season signings.
They raised eyebrows by landing the likes of Josh Jones and Manu Ma’u, while the strength in depth and talent within the club saw FC named as one of the favourites to win something this year.
For a long time, though, that seemed off the table. Hull could find neither the performances nor the consistency to realistically launch a challenge as they stumbled through the truncated season.
They struggled to click and as the pandemic took shape building positive momentum under Andy Last initially proved a challenge.
But their form since the start of October has not only been enough to snatch that final play-off spot, it’s also been enough to instil hope heading into this play-off series, that a group of players initially tipped for great things can live up to their billing and give FC fans a reason to remember 2020 for the right reasons.
The next couple of weeks could be as big as they come for Last too as he bids to make a final push to land his dream job on a permanent basis.
He seems to be getting a tune out of this Hull squad at present and he knows three wins could see Adam Pearson push a contract his way across the boardroom table.
Indeed this FC set-up has a point
to prove and by sealing that play-off spot, they have been handed the platform to underline their collective and individual credentials.
Prediction: Hull by two
What they said Steve Price:
“I’m extremely proud to coach this group.
“They’re hardworking and have been consistent this year. We’ve been doing a lot of really good things and now have to raise the bar and keep chasing that perfect wave where we want to get to.
“Finals football is totally different. What’s gone before us goes out the window now. It’s about doing the little things right and the basics well. If we play to our strengths we give ourselves every chance.
“We’ve got a very experienced group of men here who have played on the big stage – they understand what big games look like which is important.
“The boys are excited for the challenge.”
Andy Last: “We’ve looked back at the previous two games and looked at where they’ve tried to expose us, but I would agree with Steve (Price) in the fact that it’s a completely new game. You can’t look back at the last two times we’ve met and it hasn’t given us any extra motivation, I think the fact that it’s a play-off game and it’s do or die and getting through the next 80 minutes to get into the next game, has heightened our emotions and sharpened our focus.
“Warrington are an exceptional side and Steve has done a great job. They’ve played in three major finals in the time he’s been there and that speaks volumes for the job he’s done. They’ve got some really good players and we’ll respect them. But we need to make sure we earn their respect and try to get the job done over the course of the 80 minutes.”
The danger men
FC are all too aware of Warrington‘s chief threat having been torn apart by Blake Austin on a regular basis.
The stand-off has impressed regularly with his kicking game something to behold at times.
Ben Murdoch-masila is a threat as well and he’ll make things interesting for Hull’s back-rowers.
How Hull can win
FC have been in fine form of late and they must continue to play with confidence and a creative spark.
However, there seems to be a psychological barrier when coming up against the big teams this season, something Last spoke about after the club’s loss to Wigan Warriors in the Challenge Cup.
They must overcome that by playing their own game and keeping things tight defensively. Even against KR last time out, a comfortable win, there were lapses in concentration close to the line. Wolves will punish those mistakes should they occur this time around.