Hull FC hammered Salford on Sunday afternoon.
It was always going to be a case of how many, but Hull FC are back in Super League’s top six positions after an 80-6 massacre over Salford Red Devils on Sunday afternoon. John Cartwright’s side did what they needed to do and were good value for it, giving their crowd something to cheer about in what was just their second home victory of the season.
The Black and Whites scored 14 tries in total, with Lewis Martin grabbing four and a club record for tries in a Super League era season – the winger now standing on 27 this year. There was also time for Tom Briscoe to get his 100th try for the club, but in truth, this was a sorrowful day for rugby league after an ugly sequence of events that have unfolded on the western side of the Pennines this season.
The result was nothing more than expected, given Salford’s week of upheaval that made the first eight months of the year look tame. In fact, this week has been as grim as it gets, with reports of unpaid travel costs and laundry fees forcing player sales and more – and still the Red Devils’ silent owners remain quiet, although they did have the audacity to attend the MKM Stadium rout as the away crowd, small in numbers but with big voices, made their feelings clear.
The movement this week has left Salford in complete crisis, requiring emergency loan signings from other Super League clubs to field a team. In total, seven reinforcements came, including former Hull hooker Brad Dwyer, but they were no match for the home side, who cruised to victory.
The Black and Whites made four changes to their side, welcoming back key duo Will Pryce and John Asiata after hamstring injuries. They were joined by Ed Chamberlain and Briscoe.
And it was the two key men who were at the heart of everything Hull did in a first-half performance that saw Hull 50-0 to the good at half-time. Sure, the level of opposition was anything but Super League quality, but Hull still had a job to do, and their two returning stars did just that.
They were slick with the ball, took the right options, and nailed their execution, with Pryce, playing for around 50 minutes, electric on his feet and with his final pass selections. Meanwhile, Asiata, who played the entire first half, shaped up well and got Hull around the field well, especially given Aidan Sezer’s absence with a shoulder injury.
Hull’s first try saw Asiata link with Pryce, albeit through Cade Cust, to put Martin over in the corner. And then the floodgates truly opened. Pryce returned a kick with interest, feeding Martin, who in turn put Harvey Barron away to score.
Hull then got a third try through Jed Cartwright, who chased Pryce’s kick hard to catch and score, before Zak Hardaker then got involved, crabbing across the line as Barron got his second.
Hull then went back to back, breaking through their left edge as Davy Litten put Martin over again. Two consecutive tries then became three as Asiata’s offload sent Pryce away, with the full-back putting Cartwright under the sticks.
And that became four tries in succession as Martin’s break was finished off by Litten. Pryce then put Martin over for his hat-trick try with a fair cut-out pass, and while Salford broke the momentum for a couple of minutes, there was still time for Cust to dummy his way over before half-time.
The second half started as the first left off, with Martin put over by Pryce for his fourth try of the rout. Herman Ese’ese then stormed through the line off a Cust pass to score another before Amir Bourouh scampered over the line from dummy-half on the last tackle.
Hull’s points kept going, with Litten grabbing his second try, taking a neat Cust kick to score. The next score was a sentimental one, with Briscoe getting over for his 100th try for Hull, taking Hardaker’s pass to go under the sticks.
However, it was the Red Devils who finished with an effort of their own, with Dwyer squeezing over under the sticks, and with that closing the scoring.
That saw Hull run out 80-6, winners for their second biggest ever Super League victory, but they know tougher tests await, and none more so than the visit of Leigh Leopards next week. However, their destiny remains in their own hands, and with six rounds of the regular season to go, it’s not a bad place to be.
Teams
Hull FC Starting XIII: 6. Will Pryce; 2. Harvey Barron, 5. Tom Briscoe, 20. Davy Litten, 22. Lewis Martin; 3. Zak Hardaker, 14. Cade Cust; 8. Herman Ese’ese, 9. Amir Bourouh, 41. Liam Watts; 11. Jed Cartwright, 4. Ed Chamberlain; 13. John Asiata.
Interchange: 17. Jack Ashworth, 16. Yusuf Aydin, 24. Jack Charles, 39. Sam Eseh. 18th Man: 27. Matty Laidlaw
Starting XIII: 57. Declan Murphy; 58. Riley Lumb, 53. Tom Whitehead, 50. Toby Warren, 51. Samuel Hill; 28. Nathan Connell, 59. Ciaran Nolan; 19. Justin Sangare; 43 Finley Yates, 16. Loghan Lewis; 60. Ben Littlewood, 30. Tiaki Chan; 24. Harvey Wilson
Interchange: 29. Charlie Glover, 63. Brad Dwyer, 49. Harvey Makin, 62. Taylor Kerr. 18th Man: 61. Jake Davies
Scorers
Hull Tries: Martin 4, Barron 2, Cartwright 2, Litten 2, Cust, Ese’ese, Bourouh, Briscoe. Goals: Pryce 0/1, Hardaker 12/13
Salford Tries: Dwyer. Goals: Lumb 1/1
Scoring System: 4-0, 10-0, 14-0, 20-0, 26-0, 32-0, 38-0, 44-0, 50-0, HT, 56-0, 62-0, 68-0, 74-0, 80-0, 80-6, FT
Referee: Liam Rush. Video Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 11,242