Hull FC take on Hull KR in Liverpool this weekend.
Hull FC winger Lewis Martin was back in the side and on the scoresheet.(Image: Dave Lofthouse)
Andy Last has challenged his Hull FC side to bring the same level of intent and physicality to Saturday’s derby match against Hull KR.
The Black and Whites produced a spirited account, albeit in defeat to Wigan Warriors over the weekend and are preparing to go up against the old enemy at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium – the second derby to take place on Merseyside after a 2020 clash at St Helens, ironically when Last was in his first spell as interim head coach.
The clash is the first of two derby games in the month of July, and for Last, whose side can take confidence to Liverpool, it’s the same messaging once again.
Hull met fire against fire against Wigan, leading for the majority of the game before Harry Smith’s late winner, and it’s that physicality, punch, and aggression they will need every week as they look to finish the Super League season as strong as they can.
“I thought we got the intent right but we’ve got to turn that on every week,” Last said. “That’s the level you have got to be at every week. We really went after the game against Wigan today. The fact we ran so hard left some bruises and some marks on their front row and defensively, we rocked a couple of heads back and played with the intent that you need at this level.
“Next week is going to be exactly the same. Rovers are very good at suffocating you with field position and line speed. It’s going to be a tough game for us.
“We’ll have a good look at them, create a preview, and come up with a team that we think can get the job done, but we’ll take a lot of confidence from that performance. I don’t think many people expected it to be as close as it was, but we had a lot of belief in the group, and we were excited about the challenge.
“I think it was evident in the way that we played that we embraced that challenge and we went after the game. We gave a great account of ourselves, but we’re disappointed that we’ve lost another game. We put a lot of effort in, but to come away with two points, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
“We need to recover now. The temperature on the pitch was up to 32 degrees at one point. It was very attritional. Wigan test you physically and we had to go for the full 80 minutes. The game was right in the balance. It sets us up for next week well.
“The derby games are always full-blooded affairs and I’m sure they will be hurting from their loss to Leeds. Rovers are a strong side and Willie (Peters, head coach) will have them ready to go.”