Hull FC sit sixth in Super League with their destiny in their own hands.
Effort. Grit. Determination. Hull FC had plenty of it against Leigh Leopards and ended up getting what they deserved: another priceless victory to push their Super League top six hopes.
And with five rounds of the regular Super League season to go, their destiny remains in their own hands; a card Hull would have bitten your hand off for if offered at the start of the season.
Of course, there’s been setbacks, and with some tough games still ahead, there may be one or two more still to come, but the progress, as it has been seen at various stages of the year, is there to see, and it really can’t be voiced enough. Hull are night and day from where they were last season.
Led by both their rising young talent and their experienced recruitment, they’re gritty, they’re resilient, they’re tough, and they dig deep. There’s connection and emotion to them. They know what it means.
That stems right from John Cartwright to the full squad, and it resonates with those who love them most: the supporters. That relationship has rekindled off the back of performances where effort and desperation have been at the forefront of what Hull have done – and no matter what adversity has been thrown at them.
They could lose their captain in Aidan Sezer in the team run, their full-back Will Pryce in the first half, and one of the best players in the entire competition in John Asiata in the second half, but they still get the job done.
They also lost two players in Cade Cust and Liam Watts to HIAs, they faced disruption by the bucketload, but they still got the result. That shows character, it shows guts, it shows everything good about Cartwright’s side this year.
But it’s not just effort that Hull pride themselves on. Against Leigh, their shape and execution with the ball was also on point. Hull completed in the 90s and they made just four errors, but it wasn’t just simple risk free rugby league: far from it.
Hull pushed passes but all within reason. They executed their shape and they promoted the ball – and they looked dangerous for it. They got width into their attack, hitting all variations of the block play, and then their transitions from attack to defence saw them turn the ball over in their desired areas off the back of a strong kick and chase. They put the pressure on Leigh with favourable field position and then got in their faces with line speed and aggressive defence.
With every player playing their part – from the outstanding Zak Hardaker to a strong performance from Liam Watts, to Lewis Martin and Harvey Barron, to Jed Cartwright and the returning Jordan Lane – it was the game plan Cartwright has spoken of all season in effect, but one the team have been inconsistent at. Getting that consistency is the challenge, but it’s fair to imagine it will come as the team evolves and improvement occurs.
That’s been a reality all year. Hull, for all their good, are still a work in progress and they know that. They know there’s a few levels still to reach to be the week in week out top team they desire to be but they’re on the right track, that is clear.
The only thing now that threatens to derail their top six push is injuries. Unfortunately, Pryce and Asiata both limped off: Pryce with a foot issue and Asiata his hamstring. The extent of them are still to be determined but on Asiata, Cartwright did say in his post-match press conference that it ‘doesn’t look good.’
There will be will further checks to come on both players, but regardless of what Hull team heads to St Helens on Friday night, they won’t lie down. They’ll give it everything, and after what their supporters have endured over the last few years, you’ll take that. The club is on the up again. And this is just the start.