Grand Final win would give us our FC ‘immortality’
TAYLOR SAYS HULL CAN GO ONE BETTER THAN 2006
Scott Taylor believes history is there to be made for Hull FC as they bid to reach a Grand Final on home soil. The Black and Whites will move to within one win of the Grand Final should they navigate their way through the challenge of Warrington Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium tonight.
Andy Last’s side have struggled against teams at the top of the table this season and they know they’ll have to do things the hard way if they are to reach the showpiece event, which will be played at the KCOM Stadium, with Wigan lined up as semi-final opponents.
But Taylor knows FC have the chance to end an unprecedented season by stitching their names into club folklore.
Hull have only featured in one Super League Grand Final previously, losing convincingly to St Helens in 2006, but the vice-captain believes the club are more than capable of going one further this time around.
“It’s been a weird year and how more weird would it be if we end up coming from nowhere and getting there?” Taylor said.
“It would give you sort of immortality as an FC player, no FC team has ever done it.
“We know there’s a lot of hard work still to be done, starting tonight, it is going to be the hardest route, we have to get through Warrington, Wigan and Saints but, if we get the win tonight, we’re one win from a Grand Final.
“If you’d have said that to us three or four months ago, we would have laughed in your face. It just shows how much things can turn around.
“We go to Warrington tonight knowing we’re one win from a GF in our own stadium, which has never happened before and probably will never happen again in Super League.”
Taking part in the play-offs will be nothing new to the 29-year-old, who is the proud owner of a Super League winners’ ring after helping Wigan Warriors to collect the title in 2013.
But for a host of Last’s squad this will be their first taste of the business end of the season and the high stakes nature of play-off rugby league. As such, Taylor has been keen to impart wisdom in the build-up to tonight’s clash in an effort to settle any nerves and set the right tone within camp.
“I think I’ve automatically tried to take on a bit more of a vocal role,” the prop added.
“I’m vice-captain and me and Danny Houghton are the ones that do a lot of the talking as well but it’s more been towards the boys that haven’t been in these games before but are going to get a taste of it.
“I know what’s at stake, I’ve been involved in a few and I’ve taken a lot from the losses and some from the wins.
“I think it’s important the boys know what mindset to be in and how to approach it, but it’s always a good thing to get the best out of it if you do just approach it as just another game.
“Some of the lads are playing really well and they shouldn’t have to worry about the occasion, they just need to keep doing what they’re doing which helped us into the playoffs.”