Hull FC know they have to nail one key area against Hull KR.
Hull FC half-back Jake Arthur.
It’s been almost three years since Hull FC last defeated Hull KR. The 9th of July, 2023, was the last time the Black and Whites tasted success over their local rivals, with a try from Chris Satae sandwiched in-between two Adam Swift efforts enough for a 16-6 victory at Craven Park.
In the seven derbies since, it’s been one-way traffic. Defeat after defeat, some comfortable, some competitive, and one or two humiliating. That’s the record staring Hull in the face – who head to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium looking to set that record straight.
They take confidence into the Magic Weekend clash, and so they should. They may have lost to Wigan Warriors last week, but there was plenty to like about their performance.
Simply put, if they had a bit more quality about them, they would have won. They had the chances. Now it’s about nailing that shape, polish, and execution.
Hull are likely to stick with Jake Arthur as the dominant half-back, a role that certainly suits him, with Aidan Sezer playing wider off his fellow countryman. They will have their say on Saturday and it’s the taking of those opportunities that is key. It’s not like they haven’t been there in all eight games so far under Andy Last – it’s just icing those moments that is their ongoing challenge. They have to be clinical. When they get down in Rovers’ end, they have to score.
Of course, attacking opportunities aren’t a guarantee. You have to earn them – and Hull will be keen to ensure they match up physically as they did against the Warriors last week.
Leading for much of the contest, they were fired up from the very first set. They were aggressive. They were up for the fight.
Up against an opponent whose game plan is to smother and suffocate, Hull have to relish that physical battle once again and try to win that arm wrestle to win field position and, crucially, an even keel of possession.
They can do that by nailing the effort-based fundamentals that have become a non-negotiable with their performances over the last 18 months. Win, lose, or draw, Hull’s fight and grit are there. They are resilient. They soak up pressure. They stay in the contest.
They’re going to need those battling qualities now more than ever. That will put them in the game – and then the rest is up to them. Nail their opportunities, their big moments, and who knows, in this strange game of rugby league, what will happen.
Rovers haven’t been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, but only a fool would play them down. They are still right up there in terms of the very best in the Super League competition and will be in and amongst it fighting for the grandest prize at the end of the year.
But Hull will smell blood here – and so they should. They will have picked up confidence and belief from last week, and in two hoped injury returns in James Bell and Cade Cust, they have two players that can help add that bit of polish.
It’s been Hull’s Achilles’ heel, so to speak, in recent weeks, but again, if they can nail their good ball chances, then they should make a real and genuine game of it.
And as the recent record shows, it’s badly needed. It’s about time Hull gave Rovers something to sweat about and it’s about time they got some bragging rights. They’ll give everything to get them; of that, there is no doubt, but it’s brains and execution that hold the key.