Aidan Sezer has labelled Hull FC’s victory at Leigh Leopards as ‘massive’ – but insists there is still plenty for the side to work on this year after ending a four-game losing run.
The Black and Whites are gunning for a top six finish and a first involvement in the Super League play-offs since 2020. They gave a good account of their credentials in the first half of their performance at Leigh, but despite a welcome two points and a big win in the context of their season, they are not resting on their laurels and know they can still get even better as they look to consolidate their finals position in the second half of the year.
Leading 26-0 at the break, Hull were pegged back in the second half but still came away with a 26-12 victory, with Sezer, who put in another influential performance on his 250th career appearance, explaining. “That was a massive win for us.
“We knew we had our work cut out coming up against a good side like Leigh. They’re one of the top sides in the comp, but just bouncing back from last week’s disappointment is massive.
“In the first half the boys just set the platform, got back to what we know and played some good footy. In the second half, there was lots to work on, but the two points are the most pleasing thing for us.
“It was a good position to be in (at half-time), but it comes with a bit of a risk. We know Leigh can attack and score points. We knew they’d come out in the second half and try to get some momentum, and they did. For us, there’s a lot to work on and review, but the two points are what we come for at this time of the year.”
After injuries to John Asista (hamstring) and Cade Cust (hip), Hull had to dig deep to earn the victory, with the side naturally going into one-out football as the half progressed. That’s one area that will now look to address next week, with the side set to be without Asiata at Catalans on May 31.
But in earning a sixth win in Super League, Sezer, while focusing on getting better, was also quick to point out the effort of the likes of Liam Knight – who played 70 or so minutes in two massive stints. Elsewhere, Herman Ese’ese and Sam Eseh impressed, while Matty Laidlaw put in a promising account.
“Those boys were immense,” Sezer added. “We lost a couple with John Asiata going down and Cade Cust. For us, there’s a lot to work on, but again, the two points are what count.”