Hull FC’s record at Magic Weekend over the eight previous years of the event is questionable, to say the least. Two wins in eight attempts, including a solitary win against Hull KR, would not have filled many of their fans with hope heading to Newcastle. Throw in the fact that they lost the first meeting between the sides this season and it could have easily been a fixture that threw more doom and gloom the way of Hull.
But this is a Hull FC side who are in white-hot form at the moment, and they continued their surge up the Super League table with a fifth win in seven league games in a stunning attacking display.
Any fears that Hull’s dismal record at Magic Weekend would continue were dispelled by half-time, as they established a comfortable lead that they never really looked like surrendering against a Hull KR side who were way below par in one of their biggest games of the year.
The win represented their biggest victory against their neighbours in the Super League era; an emphatic statement of how good Lee Radford’s side are playing at the moment.
As you would expect from a Hull derby, both sides came out flying, with some ferocious tackling and exhilarating attacking play.
Hull started the better though and, after Kirk Yeaman and Josh Mantellato exchanged tries, they began to pull away as tries from Fetuli Talanoa and the captain Gareth Ellis made it 16-6. From there, Hull were always looking in control.
But as Hull began to press home their advantage with more field position, the rapid Kieran Dixon picked off a pass from Yeaman to race home from distance and reduce the arrears for Rovers.
Hull’s attacking prowess came good again four minutes later though, when Mark Minichiello pounced on some questionable defending to extend the lead out to 10 points again.
Leading 22-12 at the interval, Hull had a firm grip on the game and their start to the second half only strengthened that further.
Talanoa claimed his second four minutes after the restart when Ben Cockayne managed to fluff his lines and leave a Leon Pryce kick bouncing, before full-back Jordan Rankin scored the try of the game just two minutes later in a rapid spell of play from Hull.
Pryce’s break initially set up the chance, before Rankin outpaced fellow full-back Cockayne close to the line to crash over, with Marc Sneyd’s conversion putting Hull 34-12 up, and in effect signalling game over.
With some awful defending from KR and some outstanding attacking play from the Black and Whites, it was no less than Hull deserved.
Yet somehow, KR would find a way to fight back into the contest as the game headed into the final quarter, as both Dixon and Mantellato each claimed their second to make it 34-20 – but Talanoa’s hat-trick try and a second for Yeaman snuffed out any faint hopes of a comeback, and ensured it was Hull who claimed the local bragging rights after the 20-6 defeat at the KC Stadium back in April.
