Hull FC took a big step in the right direction, but now they must back it up.
Hull FC’s Zak Hardaker, Davy LItten, Tom Briscoe, Lewis Martin and Arthur Romano celebrate after victory over Leeds.
Hull FC can take many things out of Sunday’s thrilling 24-16 win over Leeds Rhinos, but it’s a bit of advice from Brad Arthur that may prove to be the most important thing: don’t believe your own hype.
It’s something John Cartwright also referenced mid-week, suggesting that Hull may have got caught up in their own expectation so far this year, with the Black and Whites’ biggest challenge now to back up victory with a similar performance against Catalans Dragons this Sunday afternoon.
For the avoidance of doubt, Arthur was talking about his own side after defeat to Hull, stating: “It’s a reality check, isn’t it? We’re not going as good as we think we are.” But for Hull, who will go up against the Dragons looking to truly ignite their 2026 season, that same message is vital.
They have to back up their Leeds scalp with another display built on the same minerals, with, fundamentally speaking, team spirit, grit, and determination coming to the fore, and in terms of rugby league craft, the ability to complete, build pressure, and defend tough standing tall.
Arthur’s message also works both ways, and perhaps Hull – who insisted they weren’t far off in the four successive defeats prior to the Leeds win – weren’t going as badly as some would have had you believe. What was not in doubt, however, was their own ability to hit the self-destruct button.
Prior to Sunday, Hull had been error-strewn and given constant six-agains and penalties away, playing games stuck in their own half, suffocated with a lack of go-forward and ultimately hanging on in defence. That vicious cycle – and regardless of how ridiculously farcical and inconsistent some of the set restarts are – has only brought one outcome: defeat.
Yet against Leeds, Hull completed high. They got to the end of their sets on a consistent basis and they kicked well, turning the ball over in better areas of the field. That gave them a foothold. It allowed them to get accustomed to the pace of the game and play in Leeds’ half, building pressure, making their opposition work, and eventually scoring points and taking the advantage.
That’s rugby league – and Hull – led by the outstanding John Asiata – were disciplined enough to remain calm and stick to that process. They then had the quality to back it all up with three tries scored and six goals landed. It was enough.
Hull have their formula now, and it’s no magic secret – it’s never been a magic secret. It’s about honest, hard work and nothing less. It’s about completion. It’s about discipline. And it’s about patience. It’s also about having the shape and execution to score points when the opportunities allow, and in Asiata, not to mention classy performances from the likes of Jake Arthur and co., Hull did exactly that.
That is key moving forward, and if Hull keep their Rolls Royce on the pitch, then they will believe they’ll never be far away. But ultimately, the Leeds victory came as a result of Hull waving away their biggest critics. That noise has been centred on a lack of go-forward and a lack of defensive line speed. Both merged together have seen a side that has been second best and off the pace, struggling to gain a foothold and ultimately caught in the same trap with their energy zapped up.
But on Sunday, that script was thrown in the bin. Hull were energetic and in the faces of Leeds, but they were in the faces of Leeds because they completed their sets, they built into the game, and they didn’t look for shortcuts. Ultimately, you can’t build pressure when you keep dropping the ball, and you can’t get your line speed going when you’re constantly defending on the backfoot. In fact, you can’t do anything in this game when you’re on the backfoot. And that, prior to Sunday, was Hull in a nutshell.
The challenge for Cartwright’s side now is to bring that same pace, intent, composure, aggression, discipline, and the like into their performance week in and week out. Consistency is everything.
Get that, and Hull will start to believe, but again, the worst thing they can do is get caught up. It’s one win and two competition points – and for all the passion, all the spirit, and all the team ethics that made every Black and White chest stick out and bang their jungle drum, it counts for nothing without the same end product this week.