Hull FC’s 355-day wait for a home victory is OVER! The Black and Whites produced a superb second-half comeback victory to defeat Wakefield Trinity 16-10 at the MKM Stadium on Thursday night and move back into the Super League play-off places.
Down 10-0 at the break, John Cartwright’s side rolled their sleeves up after the break and dug in to record a massive victory in the context of their season – and it was fully deserved.
The first half was poor. There’s no bones about it. Hull made far too many errors once again and couldn’t get a foothold. In turn, the away side built a lead and looked destined for another victory.
But the Black and Whites are built of much stronger stuff this year, and they rallied hard to get themselves home, despite losing Ed Chamberlain and Amir Bourouh to failed HIAs, with Jed Cartwright also coming off with ice on his hamstring.
But in what was a game of two halves, to say the least, Hull turned the game on its head. They completed well, got some fluency into their game, and eventually got their reward.
They showed guts, and guts are what’s needed if they are to finish in the top six this year. But there was also a bit of quality, with Hull led superbly once again by Zak Hardaker, who was immense at full-back, as was Aidan Sezer at half-back.
They were followed by the club’s two rising young wingers, with Harvey Barron and Lewis Martin standing tall. Martin got the winning try, his 20th of the season from 21 games, with the Hull fans finally able to celebrate a home victory – and didn’t they just.
In an at-times scrappy game, it was the home side who started with a flurry, with Davy Litten escaping a Wakefield tackle attempt and bursting downfield. However, Hull were denied an early try with Cartwright pulled for a forward pass as Barron dived over on the next play.
Worryingly, that was Hull’s brightest moment of the first half. They produced seven errors within the first quarter of the game in what has become a familiar theme in recent weeks. They were basic errors too, with Hull dropping the ball from first receiver and not playing the ball properly.
Unfortunately, Cade Cust was in the thick of it, making three first-half errors, but he wasn’t on his own. It’s a team issue and something that is clearly hindering the side as they struggled once again to get a foothold in the game.
Instead, Wakefield, who were full of mistakes themselves, began to build into the game. They took the lead with a penalty goal, and after Brad Fash took out a kick chaser, Max Jowitt was able to double that lead from the tee.
The Wakefield full-back then got on the scoresheet again, touching down under the sticks for the game’s first try after an impressive break from young gun Harvey Smith. That gave Trinity a deserved lead, with Hull, who lost Ed Chamberlain and Sam Eseh to head injury assessments, sloppy again, left with work to do.
But the second half was much better. Hull got into a rhythm more frequently and began to get their rewards. Perseverance paid off, with Hardaker bundling himself over from the ruck, taking his chance and squeezing over. And when the ball was flung out wide to Jordan Rapana, Hull were soon level, with the Kiwi stretching out an arm to score.
Cartwright’s side now had the bit between their teeth; they smelt blood, and they didn’t pass by their opportunity. The ball was flung wide, with Martin getting low and squeezing himself over to give Hull the lead. Jack Charles converted from the touchline, with the home side losing a second player to a failed HIA in Bourouh, in the ascendancy.
Hull continued to hold that lead into the final ten minutes, and they did just that. They showed spirit, guts, determination, the lot, and came away with what they deserved. Their season is very much alive.
Teams
Hull Starting XIII: 3. Zak Hardaker; 2. Harvey Barron, 1. Jordan Rapana, 20. Davy Litten, 22. Lewis Martin; 14. Cade Cust, 7. Aidan Sezer; 8. Herman Ese’ese, 9. Amir Bourouh; 40. Liam Knight; 11. Jed Cartwright, 4. Ed Chamberlain; 16. Yusuf Aydin
Interchange: 17. Jack Ashworth, 19. Brad Fash, 24. Jack Charles, 39. Sam Eseh. 18th Man: 5. Tom Briscoe
Wakefield Starting XIII: 23. Josh Rourke; 2. Lachlan Walmsley, 4. Corey Hall, 3. Cam Scott, 30. Jayden Myers; 1. Max Jowitt, 20. Mason Lino; 8. Mike McMeeken, 9. Liam Hodd, 15. Caleb Hamlin-Uele; 12. Josh Griffin, 18. Isaiah Vagana; 13. Jay Pitts
Interchange: 11. Seth Nikotemo, 14. Thomas Doyle, 28. Harvey Smith, 31. Caius Faatili. 18th Man: 35. Ellis Lingard
Scorers
Hull Tries: Hardaker, Rapana, Martin. Goals: Charles 2/3
Wakefield Tries: Jowitt. Goals: Jowitt 3/3
Scoring System: 0-2, 0-4, 0-10, HT, 6-10, 10-10, 16-10, FT
Referee: James Vella. Video Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 10,401