Jump back 12 months and the gap between the two clubs wasn’t
that great – certainly not insurmountable – FC finished the regular season in 7th
place with 22 points whilst Hull KR finished a disappointing 10th
but just 4 points behind FC with the pivotal fixture being the 3rd
Derby of the season at the KC Lightstream Stadium in July which FC won to guarantee
themselves a top 8 spot and a position in Super League in 2016. At the same
time they condemned Rovers to a place in the qualifiers and the potential of
the Million Pound game.
It was always going to be a struggle for FC to make the top
4 after finishing 6 points behind 4th place Huddersfield Giants and
they would go on to win just 1 of their 7 Super 8 games whilst Hull KR won all
7 of their qualifiers to easily maintain their Super League status for the
following year.
How the pendulum has swung in the last 12 months.
Hull brought in some quality players such as Frank
Pritchard, Sika Manu, Carlos Tuimavave and Scott Taylor to mix with the decent
quality squad they already possessed and they have maintained a consistency of
positive form that they have not had since they made the Grand Final in 2006.
This weekend the fixtures that the two Hull clubs are facing
could not be of a more contrasting nature.
Hull FC, having won the Challenge Cup at Wembley for the
first time in their history, finished top of the table after the regular season
but dropped down to third after 30 rounds despite having the fate of the League
Leaders shield in their own hands in the final game at home to Warrington
Wolves – a team they had already beaten home and away in Super League and in
the aforementioned Challenge Cup Final.
However, the succumbed to a costly defeat that denied them,
not just the second part of the treble but, possibly more importantly, a home
semi-final.
Tonight they travel to second placed Wigan Warriors to play
for a place in, what would be, FC’s second Grand Final. It is the fifth meeting
of these two clubs in 2016 and both teams have won 2 games each with Wigan
having won twice at the KCOM Stadium and FC having won the reverse league
fixture at the DW Stadium plus the Challenge Cup semi-final at Doncaster a
couple of months ago.
The latest fixture in the Super 8s was just 3 weeks ago and
the Warriors overturned a 12-4 deficit late on to win the game 18-12 – does that
give the Warriors a mental edge in this game?
Without a doubt FC were the better team for 70 mins and
should have won easily but Wigan stuck in and showed great determination and
spirit to win the game.
FC have been the best and most consistent team all year but
the current play off format supports teams that finish the season strongly – FC
have won 3 of their 7 Super 8 games and only 1 of 4 post Wembley whilst the
Warriors have won 5 of their 7 Super 8 fixtures including their last 3 in a row
which included the win at FC, a brilliant comeback with 12 men to win at
Warrington Wolves, the eventual League Leaders Shield winners, and a home win
over a waning Catalans Dragons.
It’s a difficult match to call and Wigan coach Shaun Wane
has started the mind games already by stating that he is without 15 first team
players for this fixture – basically he is trying to give his team the underdogs
mentality, and himself a ready made excuse for losing the game, but there is no
doubt that they will miss captain Sean O’Loughlin and talisman full back Sam
Tomkins.
I like the way Lee Radford goes about his business – he has
matured as a coach and no doubt it helps when your team is being successful but
you can tell that they have a tightknit squad with a good team spirit – things that
most people would take for granted but that FC have not always been known for.
Injuries worries to Gareth Ellis, Fetuli Talanoa and Sika
Manu have been rumoured this week but they are all named in the Hull squad for
tonight and they look to have the stronger squad for this fixture.
It will take a mighty effort from FC to get over the top of
the Warriors in a semi-final on their own ground but I make them favourites to
head to Old Trafford next week and face Warrington Wolves in a major game for
the 3rd time this season.
Over at the Lightstream Stadium in East Hull, 2016 was seen
as a celebration of our 10th year in Super League – in reality it
has been nothing short of disastrous and has been, quite comfortably, the worst
of our 10 seasons back in the top flight.
An atrocious first half performance at home to Huddersfield
Giants last week, which saw us trailing 22-4, was the main reason behind us
ending up in the so called ‘Million Pound Game’ this weekend and we now find
ourselves fighting for our Super League survival against Salford Red Devils.
Whilst injuries have had a huge part to play, as it has with
most clubs, the fact is that the vast majority of fans knew that the squad we
went into the season with was not strong enough to challenge for a top 8 spot
and that we would be playing in the qualifiers again.
Unfortunately, the management either did not see this or
could not do anything about it due to the salary cap.
It has been reported many times that our squad is at full
salary cap and I have said many times also that if this squad is at full cap
then we have some seriously over paid players.
Chris Chester paid for a poor defeat at home to Wakefield
Trinity Wildcats in our 3rd fixture with his job, although there
seemed to be reasons more deep rooted than just a poor start to the season
behind his, at the time, surprise axing.
Former player James Webster left his new job as the head
coach at the newly formed City of Hull Academy to take on the position as
Interim Head Coach and hasn’t had the easiest of times – he has been with
captain Terry Campese for the majority of the season, last year’s Player of the
Year, Albert Kelly, has not hit the same heights and is unlikely to play for
the club again due to his recent disciplinary problems and he has presided over
damaging defeats to Oldham Roughyeds in the Challenge Cup and Leigh Centurions
in the qualifiers.
It is difficult to say that the squad has under-performed as
I did not expect too much from them this year although I fully expected us to
stay clear of the Million Pound game and if we had managed to put Leigh or
Huddersfield to bed after a good win at Salford we would have been safe.
We now go into our fourth meeting of the year with a Salford
Red Devils team that will be highly motivated to remain in Super League.
The bi-product of their 6 points deduction for breaching the
salary cap was a place in the qualifiers rather than the safety of 8th
place that their regular season form warranted so they are a good quality side
with some top class players although the ramblings of their owner have, at
times, made them an unpopular club and even their fans do not turn out to
support them – some of their late season attendances have been pitiful.
However, any team can get themselves ‘up’ for one game and I
am fearful that Salford have what it takes to win this game despite recently suffering
a home defeat to London Broncos and, if I was Ian Watson, I would be using Tim
Sheens as extra motivation.
Sheens is on gardening leave from Salford now as he will be
Hull KR’s coach next year, whether we are in Super League or not apparently,
having recently signed a 3 year deal and it would be quite easy for Watson to
use this to gee his players up.
Basically, Sheens thinks he has a better future at Hull KR
than at Salford – the Red Devils have a chance to prove him wrong on Saturday
and condemn him to at least one season of Championship rugby league.
I really hope that the Hull KR that can take the likes of
Wigan, Leeds, Castleford and Warrington to the wire turns up on Saturday and
not the one that capitulated in the first 40 minutes against Huddersfield.
If they do then we will be OK – but I am seriously concerned
that the Red Devils will have the bit between their teeth and will relish
putting some noses out of joint – especially the RFL’s if you listen to Dr.
Koukash.
I hope we do it and can look back on this nightmare and
learn from it – if not for me then for 2 of my boys and my daughter who love
this club as much as I do and know nothing but Super League and Hull Derby’s –
if only they knew what would lie ahead in the Championship!!!
