It was all eyes on Hull this weekend with two games widely considered to be Hull FC’s and Hull KR’s biggest in years. Next weekend, though, the stakes will be even higher after 24 hours to forget for the sport in Hull as a whole. The neutral will feel differently.
Hull FC’s inability to secure the League Leaders’ Shield on Friday will have no doubt brought joyous, albeit cautious, celebrations from Hull KR fans. But after another dramatic match by the banks of the Humber, just hours after Warrington’s 23-6 victory across the city on Friday, both sides play again next week in very different circumstances. For FC there is a spot in the Grand Final at stake at Wigan; for Hull KR, livelihoods, careers and Super League survival are on the line in the Million Pound Game against either Salford or London Broncos next Saturday.
It would not have been a victory for Huddersfield’s class of 2016 without drama, though. At the break they led 22-4 and victory seemed inevitable, but a fightback by Hull KR made it 22-22, and if it stayed that way the Robins would have secured the point they needed to seal third place in the Qualifiers.
But this was just a fraction of the drama that would follow. The final quarter was a microcosm of an enthralling Qualifiers campaign, with the match decided by the width of a post after a number of close calls for the Giants.
With Hull KR pressing late on, after falling behind to what turned out to be a decisive drop goal from Danny Brough, Terry Campese’s audacious effort from 40 metres hit the post. In the final minute a try for Thomas Minns, which would have secured survival for KR, was ruled out after a push on Jake Connor in the buildup.
It certainly was not dull, but that will matter little to the Robins, who will now host Salford or London next Saturday in the sudden-death play-off.
“There’s huge relief,” said Rick Stone, the Huddersfield coach. “I knew we’d get another chance at the end, be it just one point, and that’s all we needed. We can start planning for next year now.”
For Hull KR, how they pick themselves up after this will be fascinating. Defeat of any kind when a place in the Super League is at stake would be hard to get back up from, but doing it after coming so close survival will be tough.
The star for Huddersfield in establishing that first-half lead was their half-back Ryan Brierley. He has found opportunities hard to come by under Stone, but after scoring two tries and creating another for Leroy Cudjoe, the Giants looked in complete control and seemed all but certain to retain their Super League place.
The half-time siren was met with boos from the home fans, but the Robins responded well, with tries from Ken Sio, Mitch Allgood and Iain Thornley levelling the scores before the late drama began.
