Hull’s Smith: We’ve got a spring in our step

TONY Smith insists his Hull FC side are staying positive despite a challenging start to the season.

The Black and Whites have yet to go 13 on 13 for the full 80 minutes, having a numerical disadvantage in both their games so far.

That has contributed to defeats against both Hull KR and Warrington Wolves, with three red cards and one yellow hindering their chances, not to mention four suspensions. With injuries biting hard as well, with as many as 14 potentially out against London Broncos, it’s been a tough opening couple of weeks, but the club are rolling their sleeves up and not feeling sorry for themselves.

Instead, Smith stated that his squad are rising to the challenge, and as long as they show the same spirit, effort, and hard work as seen at Warrington last week, then the results will come.

That’s the message, with the head coach believing his side will have their purple patch this season with the standard set for desire, grit, and the like.

“It’s hard work,” Smith said of the two games so far. “Last week was tough, and it took a physical toll, but they’re shaping up okay, our boys. They’re over that and ready for the next challenge. We’re looking forward to it. We’re over our tiredness and soreness, and there’s a spring in our step, and we’re looking at our next opposition.

“I’m not feeling sorry for myself or us. It is what it is. You’ve just got to get on with it and toughen up from it. We’d like to be off to a better start and flying along, but we’re not going to sit around moping about it. We’ve got to crack on with the next challenge, and we look forward to that.

“There’s no point feeling sorry for yourself or regretting injuries or suspensions; it does you no good; you’ve got to crack on and get on with it. There are heaps of challenges in Super League. We’re copping some now, but other teams will go through some of it at different stages of the year, and we’ll be flying along at some stage when they’re doing their tough bit.

“That happens when you stay positive. If you stay negative, feel sorry for yourself, and look for excuses, that’s when you tend to get more of those things happening to you. We’re certainly not in that category; we’re going to get smarter, better, and hopefully stronger throughout the season.”

Hosting London at the MKM Stadium, Hull are looking for their first win of the Super League season, but as far as mentality goes, nothing changes.

They know they need to attack the game with the same mindset and focus on the things that will bring them two competition points.

“Whoever we were playing this week, it’s another competition game that is worth two points,” Smith continued. “It’s important to us. The last two were important to us as well.

“We’ve got out there and given it a crack in each one of them. Things haven’t come our way in terms of results and some of the rub of the green, but the lucky teams are the harder-working teams. We need to keep working hard.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of difference between a lot of teams last week – the odd sin bin, the odd bounce of the ball, the odd ricochet – was probably the difference in a couple of those matches. You’ve got to keep working hard and make that luck come around for you.”