There’s no secret to what Hull FC’s collective goal is this year – but they know they have to start winning again soon if it’s going to become a reality.
Setting their sights on the top six, a first play-off finish since 2020 is the end goal for the Black and Whites, who are looking to end a four-game losing run with victory at Leigh Leopards on Thursday night.
For Cade Cust, it’s the minimum expectation, with the Hull half-back keeping tabs on the table – and Hull’s position. Currently sat seventh, they know a welcome two points will leapfrog them up a couple of places – for 24 hours at least.
And Cust, a strong performer in John Cartwright’s side this season, knows the importance of a win, with the side gunning to put in a performance that replicates their early season standards – a run that saw them avoid defeat in eight of their opening ten games.
Speaking to Hull Live ahead of the clash, Cust said: “We want to make the top six and play finals football. That’s the goal of the team – anything can happen when you get there; it’s another competition.
“Right now, it’s very congested in there from 3rd to 9th, really, and we know we have to start getting the two points again and start climbing back up that ladder.
“With the loop fixtures, you play some teams three times, but so long as you’re in the top six and you keep winning, it doesn’t matter who you play; every game is tough – we’ve just got to keep on getting the two points.”
Cust, who has missed just one game all season due to a failed HIA, continued: “Going into every game, we want to be the hunter, and that’s how we need to approach every game, regardless of the opposition.
“We knew coming into pre-season that we’ve got quality players. Last year wasn’t going to be repeated. We set our standard, and we’ve put ourselves in a decent position, but we need to get ourselves a few more wins in the games coming up now and right the wrongs.
“We’ve had a couple of chats now as a squad, and we know that these next two games are really important. On the weekend, we were unlucky not to get the two points, but we’re on the right track again now. We’ve got to back it up.”
After Leigh, Hull head to Catalans before a week off. They then face Castleford at home, with an important block of fixtures unfolding.
That’s now lost on Cust, who added: “We started well, but we can’t lose many more games now. These next two weeks before the week off are vital – we’ve got to go out and put a good performance in.”