The enormity of what Hull FC achieved in lifting the Challenge Cup underneath the Wembley arches last year is unlikely to be forgotten any time soon – but it is increasingly clear that they are in no mood to relinquish their grip on rugby league’s most famous prize.
Hull’s first triumph at Wembley 12 months ago felt like the start of something special for the Black and Whites, and, of late, the talk by the banks of the Humber has been about how proving that was not a one-off, but instead the start of something special. A dynasty, for want of a better word.
There is a way to go before they can lay claim to achieving anything like that but following this impressive victory, there is evidence to suggest that no matter who they play on 26 August, it will take something special to deny Hull a second successive cup triumph for the first time in their history.
Lee Radford, their coach, was adamant who he would like to see win Sunday’s semi-final between Wigan and Salford. “I really hope we get Wigan in the final,” he said. “I was on the coaching staff in 2013 [when Hull lost 16-0] and we didn’t do ourselves justice that day.”
In his eyes, back-to-back cup triumphs would send a clear message to the rest. “It’d be a stamp that we’re up there with the big boys,” he said. “That would cement a spot among the elite teams in the competition.”
Here, Hull were worthy winners over a Leeds team they have not beaten in the past eight meetings, including a Super League defeat three weeks ago. That is perhaps another indicator of how Hull can now regard themselves as a major player – that they are able to peak when it is required, as their win over the league leaders, Castleford, in the previous round also illustrated.
Hull scored seven tries to Leeds’s four, with most of the damage coming from their dynamic half-back duo, Albert Kelly and Marc Sneyd. Eyebrows were raised when Hull opted to give the stand-off a chance to resurrect his career having been discarded by cross-city rivals Hull KR before their relegation last year. That, given Kelly’s displays this year in a black and white shirt, looks an increasingly perplexing decision.
Leeds led on two separate occasions in the first half thanks to a pair of magnificent Ryan Hall tries, the winger first out-jumping Fetuli Talanoa before touching down in near-impossible circumstances to make it 12-6. Kelly’s try had briefly levelled the game, before Carlos Tuimavave and Chris Green made it 18-12 at the break.
From there, Hull’s reign as holders never looked in danger of coming to an end as Tuimavave’s second, following an error from the confidence-shorn Leeds wing, Tom Briscoe, preceded further tries from Liam Watts, Jamie Shaul and Scott Taylor.
Ashton Golding scored late on for Leeds, but their focus must now switch to Super League. Hull, however, can look forward to the razzle-dazzle of the Wembley final once again.
