Lee Radford reunion, month from hell and a favourable finish
THE BLACK AND WHITES’ 2022 SCHEDULE HAS BEEN REVEALED
HULL FC now know their fixtures for the 2022 Super League season and fans can begin making plans.
The Black and Whites will start the year against Wakefield Trinity and they’ll hope to get off to a fast start, particularly after their miserable end to 2021.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the talking points to emerge from the fixture list announcement.
Round one revenge
The Black and Whites travelled to Wakefield short of confidence in September, having lost eight of their previous nine games, but they were well and truly embarrassed at Belle Vue.
They lost 44-12 on the night and that result will still be fresh in many players’ minds as they continue to prepare for the start of the new
season. As such, they’ll be delighted to travel to Wakefield once more in round one in order to set the record straight.
FC’S start to the season isn’t straight forward with visits from St Helens and Salford following the Wakefield game, but after the way they ended last season, starting positively and getting off on the right foot will be vital for Brett Hodgson.
Radford reunion
The Black and Whites don’t have to wait long to come up against their old head coach Lee Radford and a band of other familiar faces.
They travel to Wheldon Road in round four and Radford will be keen to get one over his former employers.
The Castleford head coach has recruited former FC assistant Andy Last, while Mahe Fonua will certainly be motivated to pick up the result after joining the Tigers from Hull last month.
Month from hell
Just like in years gone by, Hull will be forced to hit the road over June as the MKM Stadium turf is treated and repaired following the conclusion of the football season.
However, the three away games in June come in the middle of what is arguably the club’s toughest run of the season.
Starting on May 13 with an away trip to Saints, Hull then face Wigan at home on May 21, before travelling to Wakefield, Catalans Dragons and Warrington Wolves in June.
Things don’t get any easier in July, but those five games in the middle of the season could potentially have a huge impact one way or the other.
Toulouse trip
Every FC fan will have been eager to find out when the club will be making the trip to Toulouse for the first time.
The Black and Whites have never played at the Stade Ernest-wallon, but they’ll make the trip for the first time on July 30 and supporters are sure to travel in big numbers.
A ‘favourable’ finish
No game can be considered easy in the Super League, but FC will quietly fancy their chances of finishing strongly in 2022.
The club should be considered favourites for each of their final four games and with a play-off spot potentially on the line, they’ll be aiming to finish the season well.
Hodgson’s side host Wakefield on August 19 and that is followed by a trip to Salford on August 25. Toulouse make the journey to East Yorkshire on August 28 before a derby that could be all or nothing on the final day of the season.
FC face KR on three occasions throughout 2022, but with the stakes potentially high, the MKM Stadium will be packed to the rafters.