Hull FC changes justified again as familiar issues on show in dire Castleford Tigers defeat

Hull FC came crashing back down to earth in a poor defeat to Castleford.

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Hull FC came crashing back down to earth with an 18-14 defeat to Castleford Tigers on Friday night. The Black and Whites were second best in what was a dire game of rugby league at the MKM Stadium and one that will quickly be forgotten about.

But it did showcase exactly why Hull are making significant changes ahead of next year, and none more so than the flagship signing of Daly Cherry-Evans.

At times, they were rudderless, and once again in good ball opportunities, they didn’t have the class or the composure to build pressure and post points. That’s been the story of the season.

It’s okay being competitive, and Hull, who do have a knack to stay in games now, are exactly that, but it’s no good if you’re not clinical and smart when it matters most – and Hull once again fell by the wayside in that department.

They just weren’t good enough, and they didn’t sustain any sort of rhythm to get on the right end of the result.

The game, a tough watch with horrifically policed play-the-ball, was played with no countdown clock or video screen, a common frustration throughout the 80 minutes – and something that has been seen at a handful of Hull games this year.

But it doesn’t excuse FC, who just weren’t at the races, failing to produce the moments that got them over the line against St Helens last week.

Andy Last made four changes to his side, with Davy Litten back in after a recent ankle issue and Sam Lisone and Ligo Sao back from long-term injuries. Hugo Salabio also came back into the fold.

It was a flat start to the game from Hull, who wasted early opportunities to open the scoring and then fell behind after a try from Renouf Atoni, who stormed over the line on a crash play.

Castleford continued to find joy, making too much ground, and soon got their reward on a shift play, with Mikaele Ravalawa scoring out wide to finish a well-executed move.

Hull thought they pulled one back through Harvey Barron, who raced the full length to score after intercepting a Castleford pass, but the try was pulled back for a Castleford penalty, with Tom Weaver adding two more points.

The home side finally got on the board late in the first half, with Joe Batchelor, who recovered from an early bang to his knee, getting on the end of Jake Arthur’s kick to continue his fine individual form.

Hull needed to score first in the second half, and they did just that through Harvey Barron, who picked up the pieces after Davy Litten made something of Arthur’s kick to score.

The Black and Whites kept asking the questions, and after forcing a repeat set through Aidan Sezer, they took the lead for the first time, with Lewis Martin diving over out wide after the skipper’s well-timed cut-out pass.

But Hull’s lead didn’t last long, with Castleford gaining possession again in good territory and coming up trumps as Hull’s markers were caught cold by Liam Hood, who scampered over from dummy-half.

FC then threw one last role of the dice late on, but the Tigers stood firm, with boos ringing out at full-time. This season can’t finish soon enough, with just four games to go.

Teams

Hull Starting XIII: 24. Logan Moy, 2. Harvey Barron, 3. Davy Litten, 21. Arthur Romano, 5. Lewis Martin; 6. Jake Arthur, 7. Aidan Sezer’ 8. Herman Ese’ese, 9. Amir Bourouh, 10. Harvie Hill; 11.Joe Batchelor, 39. Ethan O’Neill; 15. James Bell.

Interchange: 14. Cade Cust, 16. Sam Lisone, 18. Ligi Sao, 26. Hugo Salabio. 18th Man: 32. Lloyd Kemp

Castleford Starting XIII: 35. Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e; 5. Mikaele Ravalawa, 12. Alex Mellor, 23. Krystian Mapapalangi, 21. Louis Senior; 6. Daejarn Asi, 7. Tom Weaver; 8. Renouf Atoni, 9. Liam Hood, 10. George Lawler; 11. Jordan Lane, 32. George Hirst; 13. Joe Stimson.

Interchange: 15. Jack Ashworth, 27. Cain Robb, 36. Tyler Dupree, 39. Jack Brown. Interchange: 25. Sam Hall

Scorers

Hull Tries: Batchelor, Barron, Martin. Goals: Sezer 1/3

Castleford Tries: Atoni, Ravalawa, Hood. Goals: Weaver 3/4

Scoring System: 0-6, 0-10, 0-12, 6-12, HT, 10-12, 14-12, 14-18, FT

Referee: James Vella. Video Referee: Liam Rush

Attendance: 12,030