Hull FC produced an attacking shocker in front of their incoming head coach.
Hull FC produced an attacking shocker against Toulouse.
There can be a tendency to overreact after a poor Hull FC defeat, but to suggest that was one of the Black and Whites’ all-time attacking shockers at the MKM Stadium is not over the top. That was utterly dreadful – and played out in front of incoming head coach Steve McNamara.
In fact, the game could still be playing this Bank Holiday Monday and Hull would have struggled to get the eight points needed to claw themselves back. Of course, credit goes to Toulouse. They played with shape, structure and organisation and got two tries on the board early on, soft tries it must be said, and that – given Hull’s ineptness in attack – was enough for a 12-4 victory.
In the second half, Toulouse did nothing but defend. They made it hard to hang on with their own poor ball retention but they did just that. They defended and defended, and while they showed spirit, Hull also made it simple for them.
What a contrast to last week – and for all the wrong reasons. Hull were polished at Castleford. They looked crisp with their shape, and the passing links between James Bell, Aidan Sezer, and Jake Arthur were on point. Bell, in particular, bit right into the line, engaged defenders, and ensured there was space out wide to strike. The half-backs did the rest.
Against Toulouse, it was the polar opposite. The spine players didn’t bite into the line before they passed, which meant Toulouse could peel off and slide their defence accordingly. Ultimately, it cut out any space for the edges and left them with a blue wall in front of them every time they got the ball.
And despite how pedestrian, how disjointed, and how ineffective each attack was, Hull never changed the way they played. They spoke about attitude all week but here, they only dipped their toe in. They seemed to bottle the conditions – with it being a damp, wet, and miserable Sunday afternoon – and play laterally without engaging the Toulouse defence. It was poor, abject viewing and resulted in Hull crabbing across the pitch before turning the ball back on the inside through a drop-off.
Concerningly, that approach never changed no matter how each attack fizzled out. Hull needed to go direct with pace and intent and try to get some urgency and tempo into their play. Instead, it was more of a lateral attack and each set was shut out. It was so poor, shades of Widnes in 2014, London in the very first game at this stadium in ’03, and York earlier this year.
Hull were camped in Toulouse’s half for what felt like an eternity but in truth didn’t look like scoring. They needed their big players to step up and change the approach to the game, but they failed to do so, and Hull ultimately got what they deserved: nothing.
It’s all the more disappointing given this was the game Hull targeted to build some momentum after their win at Castleford and get their season going in the right direction, but so long as this one step forward, two steps back, pattern continues, that season will soon slip away.
It was a performance far from good enough or acceptable, and a performance played out in front of McNamara. The Black and Whites’ new boss for 2027 and beyond was in attendance as part of the 1991 Premiership squad, who were all special guests at Hull almost 35 years on from their victory over Widnes. And if McNamara didn’t know the task in front of him, he does now.
Getting a weekly tune out of Hull is the biggest challenge. Andy Last, in charge for the rest of 2026, nailed it post-match with his ‘good players turn up every week’ point. That inconsistency is the side’s biggest flaw. The way they shaped up here was dismal, pedestrian, half-hearted, and so off the required pace, and given it occurred just nine days after they posted 50 points away from home, it is all the more perplexing.
But again, that’s Hull FC – one step forward, two back. This is also a situation they’ve been in countless times before. The history books show it. It’s almost like it’s in their DNA. They have these performances in them when expected to win, especially at home. It happens every year and ultimately cost them a play-off finish last season.
This one couldn’t have come at a worse time. All the positivity of last week is now on the back burner, and with another potential long-term injury setback for Connor Bailey, it adds to the woe. All in all, that was a shocker, one of the all-time attacking shockers at the MKM Stadium, and one the side needs to put to bed – and quickly.