Hull FC's youth show spirit in St Helens but club realities stand out like sore thumb

It's easy to look at Hull FC's 58-0 reverse at St Helens and not go beyond the result, but to do so would be pretty naive. It may have been another heavy defeat, but there were different circumstances at play here. It felt different.

At first glance, it looks like another ten-try massacre, but a young, depleted side featuring four teenagers and four more club-produced players aged 22 or under had a go here. The mood was far different from recent results against Huddersfield (twice), Rovers, and Leigh. There was an element of pride to Hull's performance.

It sounds bonkers. Hull have been hammered again. But those teenagers, in particular, showed a lot of spirit. Logan Moy on his first start, never backed down. Lewis Martin fronted up. Jack Charles is a gun. And Zach Jebson, back at the place where he made his debut seven months ago, brought some energy to the side on just his second first-grade appearance.

Then, slightly above the teenage age bracket at the grand old age of 20, there was Davy Litten, putting his hand up, Denive Balmforth, showing one or two nice touches, and Matty Laidlaw, throwing himself about in a tenacious showing. Last but not least, Will Gardiner, the senior of this young core group at 22, also had a real go.

The showing from those young players, their attitude, their approach, and the way they kept going are the positives here, and that's where the pride comes from. That side, decimated with suspensions, injuries, and the realisation of Hull's current plight, doesn't deserve to be ripped apart.

They fronted up against a top opponent who were ruthless and relentless. They were massively up against it, when in reality, those youngsters would shine even brighter if they were drip-fed in alongside a core of experience rather than thrown in at the deep end. But it is what it is.

And as for that experience, it would be rude not to mention Herman Ese'ese as well, who showed some quality with the limited ball at hand, with Jordan Lane also standing up, but in reality, it was a tough, tough night.

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Saints had 65% possession and completed 36 sets to Hull's 19. They made exactly 1,000 more metres than Hull, who came in at 573 compared to the home side's 1,573. Such was their dominance; the Saints made more post-contact metres (665) than Hull did overall metres. That pretty much tells the story.

It was one-way traffic. Saints won the field position battle early, forced a drop-out in just their second set, and never looked back. For Hull, who defended and defended and ultimately fatigued, it was another brutal reminder of where they're at and the huge job ahead, with the biggest question again being: How has it gotten to this stage?

How has it gotten to the stage where this club has conceded 360 points in nine games with just one win all season? Well, we all know the answer to that: poor recruitment, poor retention, amongst other things. That's why, in the midst of perhaps the lowest point since 1999, a new direction has been sought, with Richie Myler brought in as Director of Rugby. And what a job he has ahead of him to turn the ship around.

There's no overnight fix here, but in what was a spirited account from a young core of players, the need for reinforcements couldn't be more apparent. Hull need to sign players, but to do so, they need to finalise their next head coach appointment, with Simon Grix, who so far has come across really well, currently in interim charge.

These are all ongoing processes, and they are crucial to the future of this club. In the meantime, Hull's youth is holding the torch. They let nobody down here, and they should hold their heads up high.

Read more: Simon Grix shares main Hull FC focus ahead of welcome long turnaround