Carefree Giants now dangerous opponent in Super 8s
Top-four finish seen as ‘mission accomplished’
HEAD COACH Lee Radford has labelled tonight’s game with Huddersfield Giants as “Judgement Day” for Hull FC and, for one, Jake Connor certainly wants to act like his Terminator.
Having lost their last three games, the Airlie Birds suddenly find themselves outside of the top-four going into this final regular round despite being in it for most of the campaign.
Only a win this evening will see them stand any chance of retrieving the situation but even then Wakefield Trinity will keep them out if they avoid defeat against St Helens on Sunday.
Connor, who has played wing, centre, half-back and off the bench since joining from Huddersfield last winter, has retained his place at stand-off despite last week’s 10-7 loss at Leeds Rhinos.
He featured there when the prolific Australian half Albert Kelly – who is in the 19-man squad again this week – was left out and will get another opportunity to impress tonight.
It means plenty of responsibility has been put on the 22-yearold’s shoulders as he prepares to face his veteran former Huddersfield colleague Danny Brough but he maintains he is ready to grasp the opportunity.
“It’s another chance to show what I can do,” Connor told
with a Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds looming next Saturday, too.
“I’m in the halves again and I know my performances lately haven’t been consistent but Radders has given me that chance to get back on the ball.
“He’s put a bit of faith in me by keeping me there and hopefully I can do a job and claim a spot.
“I’ll be on Broughy’s side, too, so I’m looking forward to it.
“On his day he’s one of the best halves in the game, who can control matches comfortably and his kicking game is second to none.
“But the forwards help him get on the front foot and get that platform.
“Big Seb (Ikahihifo) runs very hard and gets more quick play the balls for him and then there’s Ukuma Ta’ai coming after so it won’t be easy.
“But hopefully our middles do the job and lay the platform for us instead.”
Hull’s chances of negating the power of Ikahihifo and Ta’ai are aided by the long-awaited return of captain Gareth Ellis, the veteran loose forward who has missed the last three months of action due to a sternum injury.
Radford hailed that as “huge” for his side, while prop Chris Green could also feature after a similar problem.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding the need to get some positive form in time for next week’s crucial game, the coach is adamant his Challenge Cup holders simply must get a result tonight.
“It is Judgement Day for us,” said Radford.
“We have an opportunity to go third – and we have an opportunity to go sixth.
“The latter option is not what we strived for at the beginning of the year.
“We are striving for the topfour. If we can finish the 23 rounds inside the four and with the semi-final on the horizon that will be mission accomplished.
“But if that doesn’t happen we have done ourselves an injustice.”
Some would argue the time to finish in the top-four is predominantly at the end of the Super 8s as that is when the semi-finals for a place at Old Trafford are decided.
But there is, of course, an extra home game in those Eights to the sides that finish in the top-four and the importance of that cannot be under-estimated according to Radford.
He said: “The extra home game is big. The M62 is shut every Friday night and the last thing I want to be doing is taking an extra trip to Salford, Wigan or St Helens.
“The home game is big financially for the club, too, and for the fans. I’d like to avoid getting in at 3am on a Saturday morning as much as we possibly can.”
Hull won 48-8 at Huddersfield in March and for much of this campaign Giants have looked like a side destined for a second successive season in the Qualifiers.
However, they are in form of late, losing just one of their last seven games with last Friday’s victory over Leigh finally confirming their top-eight place.
Indeed, they could still mount a push for the Super League semifinals and have earmarked a win at Hull as being vital towards that admittedly unlikely goal.
Radford said: “They had a fear of dropping into the Middle Eights solely because of injuries.
“When we played them earlier in the season they had upwards of 13 blokes missing.
“I almost felt sorry for them that night and was worried we’d take them for granted.
“I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that they have got some troops back now and are winning.
“They’ve made some recruits like Jordan Rankin and Jordan Turner and are pushing up the table. That’s credit to their coach.” NOW the pressure is off, Huddersfield Giants’ Ryan Hinchcliffe believes his side have earned the right to enjoy their rugby league – and that could make them dangerous.
The West Yorkshire club ensured they avoided the bottom four by beating Leigh Centurions a week ago and are now looking up the table instead.
They head to Hull FC tonight and, ahead of this final regular round, are actually just five points adrift of fourth-placed Wakefield Trinity.
With relegation fears gone, head coach Rick Stone believes they can mount a surprise challenge for the semi-finals if they win tonight and start the Super 8s well.
Australian loose forward Hinchcliffe concurs and admitted: “It’s a new challenge for us now.
“We’ve reached one of our goals but now have chance to kick on and we have to take a step up another level to be honest.
“We’re not looking too far ahead but we know if we prepare well, have a good week’s training, a good understanding of what we need to do and execute our game plan we’re confident we can beat any side above us.
“But there’s some quality teams there and we have to make sure we get our own things in order first, starting at Hull.”
While Huddersfield have been improving their form, Hull’s has dropped off with the Challenge Cup holders losing their last three games.
They have slipped to fifth and need to win this evening to have any chance of clinching a topfour spot for the Super 8s which brings an extra home game.
But former Melbourne Storm star Hinchcliffe warned: “You just have to look at their side on paper; they are a high quality team with a lot of quality individuals right across the board.
“When they put it together on the day they are probably the most dangerous team in the competition.
“They’ve been a bit of up and down but this season’s been like that for everyone.
“With us, I’m glad we don’t have to worry about that (Qualifiers) any more.
“We can focus on enjoying our rugby over the next couple of months as opposed to playing under that type of pressure every week.
“I think it’s something the group has really earned and deserved it to be able to play for the love of the game, to chase that top-four and be in some games that can be really exciting for us as a team.”