Tom Briscoe believes Hull FC can get some confidence out of last week’s victory against Salford Red Devils—not just in the victory itself but the manner of it.
The Black and Whites completed at 90% in their 38-6 triumph, gaining a stranglehold in the second half through two key pillars: discipline and completion. And it’s those pillars, pillars that suffocated Salford, that Briscoe, a 400-game veteran, knows will ensure that Hull continues to come up trumps, so long as they don’t deviate from them.
It was the same in victory at Leigh last month, with Hull completing at 93%, turning the Leopards around, defending intensely, and taking their opportunities to post an impressive win. And for good measure, the erratic home defeat against Castleford brought home a completion return of around 70%, with Hull erratic and pushing the pass when it wasn’t on instead of grinding their way back.
That shows there is a method to the madness, and one Hull knows will bring them reward if they apply the same pillars of recent wins at Warrington Wolves this Saturday afternoon—but they require discipline, concentration, and a buy-in from everyone.
“It’s about applying our game plan—and then sticking to that,” Brisoce, speaking to Hull Live, said. “We’ve spoken about it all year and the consistency of doing it. We need to make sure, right from the first whistle, that that’s where we’re at, especially this week with Marc Sneyd kicking the way he does.
“We’re going to be in some tough spots, so on the flipside, we need to make sure that we’re putting them into some tough, tough spots and backing our defence and kick chase to grind them down.
“I think our defence has been good for the majority of games. We know we need to be on—Warrington throw the ball about, and they’ve got big middles, so we know we need to be on defensively. If we can limit them, I’m confident that we’ve got the strike power to score tries.”
And speaking of confidence, it is brewing after a tenth win of the season, with Briscoe reflecting: “It was hard (at Salford), and it felt a bit frustrating playing during the game, but we ended up with a very good performance and scoreline. Although we can take a lot out of the game and there are areas to improve, we weren’t at our best, and we still managed to post 38 points. It’s positive.”
He continued: “It’s all mental with regard to sticking to a game plan. It’s hard in the moment when you see something is on to pull it in and rein in a pass or an offload, and it is a real discipline to stick to that and believe in the process that even though that pass might be on, taking the carry and going on to the next play will be better for the team. It’s all mentally trying to do what the team needs and what our goals are for a set.
“When it’s on, it’s on, and I’d want us to take those opportunities, but if we’re going to do it, we need to nail it. We have to be able to wear our errors and back them up.”
Sat sixth ahead of round 16, Hull are poised for a top-six finish—their first since 2020. It’s a finish that Briscoe believes is more than capable for this side.
“Our performances this year warrant that; we’ve been in tough games, and we’ve competed with the top teams,” he explained. “We can definitely be a top six team, or even a top four team, if we put it all together more consistently. The main thing is keeping our starting team out on the field.
“We’ve got a lot of injuries, and some consistency in the team will help, but on the flip side, the guys coming in have to come in and fill those roles—that’s what the top teams are capable of doing.
“But it’s night and day (from last year). We were in a really tough spot as a club, and performances on the pitch were nowhere near where they needed to be. I think what happened and the turnover in the off-season and John coming in with the players he signed, it’s all helped to a massive turnaround.
“The performances on the pitch have shown that we’re competitive in every game. Obviously, we’ve still got lots to improve on and get better at, but I think where we are at the minute is a good spot to be in. We’ve just got to keep it up.”