Hull FC ran out 26-12 winners at Leigh Leopards on Thursday night. The Black and Whites were 26-0 up at half-time, scoring through Cade Cust, Herman Ese’ese, Lewis Martin, and Sam Eseh.
They lost Cust and John Asiata to injuries, with Leigh scoring two second-half tries against a fatiguing team. Here are the ratings.
Will Pryce – Arguably his best performance for the club to date. He was solid under the high ball, returned well, and was brave. In attack, he cut into the line superbly and was a danger. Great assist for Martin. 9
Harvey Barron – The winger came up with a great read on Tesi Niu in an important part of the game. He stood up when he needed to and carried the ball tough. 8
Tom Briscoe – Did his job in the centre and never backed down. 7
Davy Litten – Same again. Solid and dependable. He’s physically up a level now – certainly with the ball. A threat with his carries. 7
Lewis Martin – The winger scored his 15th try of the season in the first half. He was strong with the ball and scrambled hard in defence. Every bit the Super League player. 8
Cade Cust – Played tough in the first half before succumbing to a hip knock. Hopefully, it’s just a bruise, with Cust already coming back from the same injury at Wakefield to feature the following week. He ran hard in his time on the field and looked strong, crossing over for a determined try. 7
Aidan Sezer – The half-back played his 250th career appearance and was on point throughout. He iced the key moments, linked strongly, set up Eseh’s try sublimely, and kicked well. A 40/20 got Hull in position for their second try. He never looked back. 9
Herman Ese’ese – The prop has been a threat all season. So hard to handle and got over for another try. 8
Amir Bourouh – The little hooker was tough as always. Spelt with Balmforth and had some moments in attack. 7
Liam Knight – The prop forward played for nearly an hour in his first stint, and he also returned for a second soon after. Over 70 minutes. Incredible effort. He was immense too. Solid. Dependable. Tough. No wonder Hull are making a big play to keep him. 9
Ed Chamberlain – Filled in well in the back row. Was solid and in a role that’s not his ideal position; that’s all you can ask. 7
Zak Hardaker – As above. The ultimate competitor. Moved into the halves after Cust’s injury and never backed down. A true fighter. 8
John Asiata – Everything went through him as always. So influential. Massive boots to fill next week for whoever steps in. Hopefully, the hamstring issue isn’t serious. 8
Jack Ashworth – Played in the back row again and was full of effort and heart as always. 6
Denive Balmforth – Had some scampering runs and threw himself about. Something for Hull to work on in the future. 6
Matty Laidlaw – The young prop got stuck in and contributed to a resilient second-half display. 6
Sam Eseh – The prop forward has been getting better every week. There’s a growing aggression to his game. He’s getting more confident, and it shows. Big impact again, and got over for another try. 8