Yahoo News Hull FC dealt worst possible hand to start new season with worrying factors emerging
Hull FC started the new Super League season in the worst possible fashion with a 22-0 loss to Hull KR on Thursday night. Here, Hull Live looks at how it went down.
Up against it
It’s the most typical Hull FC thing ever to stage a huge rugby league event, get a massive 20,014 crowd, build up the atmosphere pre-game with some pyrotechnics, a live DJ set, and a light show, and then deliver that.
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And while they were second-best throughout, they were up against it from the off. Already missing key players, their woes were then compounded when Liam Sutcliffe dropped out of the warm-up due to illness, and it got even worse as Joe Cator was lost to a hamstring injury early in the first-half. Not only that, but Herman Ese’ese was soon sin-binned, and then Franklin Pele saw red towards the end of the first half. After the break, Hull lost Danny Houghton to a failed HIA, and then Ligi Sao was also sent off. You couldn’t make it up.
Hull's only respite was that Jack Walker passed his HIA. It was a ridiculous chain of events, and it made the contest Rovers’ for the taking, who needed no second invitation and comfortably won at the MKM Stadium for the third season running. Tony Smith, meanwhile, has spoken about his side needing to adapt and be versatile this year. They didn’t do that here, and they must handle adversity better as the season goes on. That was a tough hand, and in many respects, the only way is up.
The red cards
Seeing red, Hull first lost Franklin Pele to a swinging arm deep in the first half, before Ligi Sao was also sent his marching orders in the second half.
It was a great initial hit from the big man, who put Elliot Minchella on the deck after a firm challenge, but his second contact was the one that did the damage. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it is only going to end with one outcome, especially with the RFL’s new guidelines this year. Pele swung his arm back so far it was in a different postcode, and he didn’t miss the Rovers forward with a thunderous flop, which bought a 26-man scuffle before half-time.
Sao, meanwhile, was dismissed for retaliation. Parcell had made unnecessary and grubby contact with the forward’s face, who responded by kicking out. That was deemed intentional by the officials, and while yellow followed for Parcell, Sao was shown red.
Ese'ese's sin bin in the first half was also for a high shot, while a few similar tackles were creeping into Hull’s defence. Discipline is certainly a factor, but as mentioned in pre-season, first contact is also relevant here. Hull lost too many rucks against Rovers with too many players on the deck instead of a controlled peel off.
When you get into that cycle and you're on the backfoot, you become desperate and start grabbing instead of Smith’s desired style of bending backs and hitting lower. That was certainly there to see in the first-half, and it’s a rhythm Hull couldn’t shake off.
The nil
Among their discipline woes, the worrying thing for Hull is that, even when 13 on 13, they rarely looked like scoring or making a fist of it. There was a moment when Jack Walker chased his own little kick, but Rovers full-back Peta Hiku did enough. Lewis Martin, arguably Hull’s best on the night, also got into space a couple of times out wide, but Rovers scrambled well.
Other than that, it’s hard to recall, baring a desperate attempt late on to claw something back, where Hull threatened Rovers’ line. The kicking game was poor, but there was little cohesion or combination when playing in good ball. Instead, there was panic, with errors coming early in the sets and no pressure built.
Hull, who looked passive when going wide and only showed promise when they went direct, have been open about the fact that understandings will develop this year, but that attacking show screamed for one thing: Jake Trueman. His return can’t come quick enough. But even then, there are still question marks. That was such a sloppy and rudderless performance, and there's a lot of work to do.
A small consolation
Can Hull take anything out of an improved second half, or did Rovers just do what they needed to do? Both statements are probably relevant. While the away side flushed ten points away in missed goals, the game and that result could have gotten a lot uglier. Rovers had further chances to score, but Hull stuck at it.
The way Hull finished the contest with 11 men showed that, while not at the races in terms of skill, they at least had a go and kept on fighting. Their effort wasn’t in question, but quality is a different story.
You could also look at it from a Rovers point of view, and with a dominant first-half and the result tied up, they just did enough to see the game out. They never looked in danger of losing, and for them, it was a solid display without getting too much beyond first gear. They were much the better side, despite making their own errors, and enjoyed their win. Hull, on the other hand, could be counting the cost of the defeat well into next week. They need to regroup fast.
