Luke Robinson praised ‘old school’ Fenton Rogers for setting the tone as Huddersfield Giants brought Hull FC ’s pack to their knees. The head coach was speaking after they won 30-14 at MKM Stadium, delivering only a fourth victory of the season.
Stand-off Tui Lolohea and full-back George Flanagan impressed with individual tries in the five-try romp. But Robinson felt getting on top of play-offs chasing Hull’s forwards was key to success – and unheralded prop Rogers played a big part.
The 21 year-old had played on loan with Championship Bradford Bulls the last fortnight but returned to his parent club and delivered a power-packed display as a starting front-row, meaning Hull’s Lewis Martin scored a hat-trick and still finished on the losing side. Robinson explained: “They [Hull] have been really physical this year.
“They’re a big physical outfit, and [Herman] Ese’ese in particular can cause you some problems. If you give them too much ball and you don’t make him defend, then it can become a bit of a nightmare.
“But I thought we played really well in the middle. I got Fenton Rodgers on the drum [afterwards in the dressing room]. When it comes to middles, he’s only in the infancy of his actual career.
“Middles don’t start playing their best rugby till their late 20s, early 30s and he’s been out with an injury. He’s gone and played at Bradford to get some match-fitness and I tasked him with something. We tried to go after their pack and make a bit of a dent and I thought he was brilliant today was Fenton.
“He didn’t play too long in the second half because obviously we knew Swifty [Adam Swift] was carrying a bit a knock and Tui [Lolohea] then pulled his quad. We actually ended up with 12 men for the last six, seven minutes. “So it was difficult getting other people back on, but I thought he was really good.”
Robinson was asked if the ex-Rochdale forward is the sort of forward he could build a team around. He replied: “What love about Fenton is he’s a little bit old school.
“And there’s loads of areas in his game which he knows – we speak about over and over again – that he needs to improve. But two things as a coach, I just don’t think you can put into anybody are speed and toughness.
“You can make someone a little quicker and more agile but you can’t make a Usain Bolt and you can’ t make someone tough. You could put them in an environment over and over again but you’re either tough or you’re not.
“Fentons Rogers is tough. Probably to his own downfall early in his career: he kept getting banned over and over and again.
“But he’s confrontational, he gets stuck in, he will never take a backwards step and I just think the areas of his game if we can keep working on those little nuances then I think he’s going to be a really, really good player.
“He’s got leadership qualities. You know, for a young kid, somebody who doesn’t make the line on fitness I don’t need to tell them because Fenny will turn around and tell him himself. Yeah, I think he’s got a really bright future.”