Hull FC have done it tough all year – and have still come up with results.
The loss of John Asiata for the rest of the season is a massive sucker punch for Hull FC, but it’s nothing they haven’t already dealt with before this year.
In fact, they have copped their fair share of big injuries throughout the season, but they have kept fighting every week no matter what has been thrown at them. And while the loss of Asiata, suffering a fresh hamstring injury just two games into his comeback, is a big blow, the same message and the same mentality are already stemming from the club, who will roll their sleeves up and get on with it as they have all year.
Dealing with adversity, Hull, who are continuing to strive for improvement in every area and will invest further in all of their performance departments, have done it tough since round two when they lost Ligi Sao for the season – an injury that saw them go out and sign Liam Knight, who is now also out for the year.
Elsewhere, Jed Cartwright and Jordan Lane have spent significant time out in a period that saw Hull go months and months without any recognised back rowers, while Asiata’s first injury saw him miss nearly three months of action. Will Pryce too missed a significant chunk of the year and is now out again, as is Liam Watts. Others have also been in and out of the side with injuries and another, Ollie Holmes, was forced to retire.
It’s actually a testament to this Hull squad, particularly in the first year of a club-wide rebuild, that they are still in the thick of Super League’s action and holding a play-off spot with five rounds to go. That says everything about their attitude and resilience this year – two things that have led the turnaround seen under John Cartwright as much as anything.
It’s those traits that should still give Hull confidence and it’s those traits they will need now more than ever if they are to secure their top six berth. And regardless of their latest setbacks – with Pryce ruled out with a foot injury and Watts out this week – they’re not done yet. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that Hull turned Wigan over in their own backyard with a 20-point win. That was without both Pryce and Asiata, with the side featuring several young players.
Against the odds, Hull turned up and got the job done. They completed high, nailed their transitions from attack to defence, and built their way into the contest – a recipe that got its rewards and showed us all one thing: they won’t give up and they won’t back down. There’s too much pride and passion in Hull this year to just wither away under adversity. They will pack a punch even without their star man and arguably their most influential player.
On that front, and let’s make no bones about it: Asiata has been outstanding for Hull this year and in his time on the field on Saturday, he was nothing short of sensational. He’s been colossal in changing the culture at Hull, from the day-to-day environment at training and around the club to their fortune on the pitch, where the balance to his game as a loose forward and his ability to shape Hull up have been second to none. And as we all knew it would be.
Of course, Hull are a different proposition without him, but while it’s a big loss, again, it’s nothing new. Hull have had to cope with big losses all season, and while some results and performances have understandably been inconsistent, they’ve prevailed to the extent where their season goal is still alive and for now, in their control. That’s a big credit to them, and while their task has got even harder, you’d be foolish to write them off just yet.