Hull FC take on Leigh for the third time this season.
Adrian Lam has admitted that Leigh Leopards were ‘embarrassed’ the last time they faced Hull FC, with the Leythers boss challenging his side to put in a performance now that is resonant with the ‘DNA’ of the club.
The Black and Whites ran out 26-12 winners at Leigh Sports Village back in May, with Lam blasting some early and uncharacteristic errors that helped pave Hull’s way to victory.
And the Leigh boss, who also saw his side draw 22-22 with Hull back in March, is expecting another difficult game against a club he ‘respects’ this Saturday evening, with the two sides clashing for the third time this season.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Lam said. “It’s a really difficult job to go to Hull and win. We haven’t won against them this season after two games, but we’re prepared for it and there’s going to be a real steel focus on the team and the DNA we want to show as a club.
“The last one we played here, we were terrible, and we were left embarrassed, really. That’s in the back of our minds, but we’re a different beast from what we were then. With only six games to go, we’ve got to get that consistency in us and be an 80-minute team.”
Leigh are aiming for a top two finish this year, and after Hull KR’s win at Wigan on Friday night, they know they’ll be just one point behind should they taste victory. But Hull also have a big incentive, with the side just one point ahead of Wakefield Trinity in the race for the play-offs.
“We’ve got a lot of respect for Hull,” Lam continued. “They’ve got a lot of our ex-players there and they’re doing a pretty good job for them. They’re desperate to stay in that top six; they’re on the verge of missing out on the top six and their season will be a disappointing one if they do miss out.
“There’ll be a lot of urgency around their performance, but they had a really big win last week and I think that would have given them a lot of confidence. I think it’ll be a really tough battle for us.”