Steps forward, but Hull must kick on
MORE IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE DESPITE THREE WINS
Hull FC have three consecutive wins on the board and five for the season. Lifting the mood after a run of seven losses, the side have come through a tough period with a united front.
It’s all within context, and no one at the club will be getting carried away.
Steps forward
It wasn’t just the seven defeats; it was the manner of them. A 40-0 derby reverse, 60 points conceded to Salford, and big margins inflicted by Warrington and Leeds left many feeling deflated. It was understandable.
Defensively, Hull weren’t good enough. They were a shambles at times, but Tony Smith always maintained things would eventually click.
With the last couple of years also taken into consideration, there’s still a long way to go on the road to redemption, but three wins have helped start a more positive atmosphere. It’s welcome. No one wants to swing the boot at the side, but when you get losses like that, there is little alternative.
However, you can only admire the way they have stuck together through that period. They’ve got stronger, they’ve remained tightknit, and their spirit is showing. Credit where it’s due. The challenge now is to keep it up when the tougher assignments come.
Hull next face Castleford in the Challenge Cup before Super League fixtures at Salford and the Magic Weekend clash against Warrington. Three big games, but all supporters will ask for is for the team to be competitive, show the same attitude to defending, and play with the same desire.
When they see that cohesion, they respond, and then everything feels more united. Hopefully that continues.
More improvements to come
Hull’s defensive patterns under Smith are built on line speed, assertive contacts, and ruck control. These were three things the side struggled to achieve earlier this year, but now there are signs of improvement.
The contacts are sticking more, and the ruck control is getting better, but there is still mileage in the tank here. Smith has spoken of missed tackle counts being too high, and being a perfectionist, he will want his side to keep tightening up. For all the grit, determination, and everything else that earned Hull their plaudits in wins over Wigan and Huddersfield, they can get better.
In attack, patience is the word. Jake Trueman is back, and his understanding with Jake Clifford will only get better. It’s worth mentioning Hull played 10 games without their first-choice spine and are still without Tex Hoy. Even if Davy Litten is covering superbly in his absence, it’s still a loss. It still means Hull are having to adapt, as they have since day one of pre-season.
Those combinations will click given time and things will look more fluent. Hopefully, now that the drier tracks are here, Hull will get better as an attacking unit, playing with pace, getting more clinical, and posting more points on the board.
Kicking on
Hull can kiss goodbye to any threat of relegation. That was a shuddering possibility during that losing run, but now after the last three games, they can look up rather than down.
Any outlandish predictions can stay absent for now, though, but it’s nice that the pressure is off for the time being and Hull can open up a bit. Rediscovering their rugby league fundamentals, they can approach games with some freedom, with Smith encouraging his side to play but always within context.
Standards have been set and Hull’s biggest challenge now will be to keep moving forward.