If Hull FC are to mount a serious title challenge this year then their defence will undoubtedly have to improve on this showing – but in a bizarre weekend in which three teams scored 28 points and still lost, there was at least an underlying sense of normality in that all the top four managed to win.
The euphoria of five successive victories for Hull had been offset by the narrow loss against the stumbling defending champions, Leeds, last week, but this was an emphatic return to form for Lee Radford’s side, especially in attack, where they were at their imperious best for large parts of this thrilling contest.
Boosted by the return of players such as Leon Pryce – who still showed he has large components of the class that once made him a Great Britain international – Gareth Ellis, and Mark Minichiello, a sixth win in seven games is impressive enough, but against a Wakefield side who had yet to lose under their new coach, Chris Chester? That is a firm indicator that Hull, arguably Super League’s biggest sleeping giant, could be serious contenders in 2016.
“I’m relieved to get back on the horse,” Radford said. “There were some horrible patches in there but we got the win and I’m over the moon with this one. We’re in a great position, so long may it continue.”
This was Wakefield’s first real opportunity to get into the top eight since Chester took charge – an illustration of how far adrift they were before he took over. However, even with defeat, extenuating circumstances could still lift them out of the bottom four later this week, dependent on the result of the hearing into Salford’s alleged salary cap breaches.
An all-round stellar display in attack means it would be perhaps unfair to pick out individuals but the form of Jamie Shaul is undoubtedly key to Hull at the moment. His absence at Leeds last week was a blow and with Sam Tomkins still injured, and last year’s Man of Steel, Zak Hardaker, out of form at Leeds, perhaps Shaul could force his way into the England reckoning with more performances in the same vein.
“You’d be pushing to find a better English full-back around at the moment,” Radford said afterwards. Like most of the 34 men out on the field, Shaul’s defence had its weak points but his reading of the game and his attacking prowess means that, despite being only 23, he is quickly becoming one of his hometown club’s most influential players.
Super League has long had a reputation for a preference on attack over defence and 48 points evenly split during the first half here did little to alter that theory. Ashley Gibson broke the deadlock for Wakefield but four tries in 11 minutes for the visitors – including two of the four scored by Fetuli Talanoa on the day – put Hull into what seemed to be a commanding 24-6 lead. However, Gibson’s second and third tries were preceded by a Tom Johnstone score that, coupled with three goals from Liam Finn, made it 24-24 at the interval.
The second half was slightly less frenzied but when Finn’s impeccable record from the kicking faded following Danny Kirmond’s try five minutes after the interval, it kept Hull within reach, only four points adrift. Marc Sneyd had also converted four from four in the first half and he would nudge Hull in front three minutes later when improving Talanoa’s hat-trick try to make it 30-28.
From there it was mostly Hull, with Radford’s side showing the more clinical touches in the final half-hour. Kirk Yeaman opened up an eight-point gap with his try before late scores from Talanoa and Shaul ensured the visitors remain only two points behind the leading trio of Warrington, Catalans and Wigan before Hull’s match against the French club on Friday – another game that will tell us more about Hull’s credentials this year.
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Jowitt; Jones-Bishop, Gibson, Lyne, Johnstone; Miller, Finn; England, Moore, Scruton, Tupou, Kirmond, Sio. Interchange Simon, Ashurst, Molloy, Arona.
Tries Gibson 3, Johnstone, Kirmond. Goals Finn 4.
Hull FC Shaul; Naughton, Fonua, Yeaman, Talanoa; Pryce, Sneyd; Watts, Houghton, Bowden, Manu, Pritchard, Ellis. Interchange Minichiello, Green, Washbrook, Taylor.
Tries Ellis, Talanoa 4, Bowden, Yeaman, Shaul. Goals Sneyd 7.
Referee R Silverwood. Attendance 6,701.
