It's hard to look past this game as Leeds Rhinos' biggest game of the season so far.
There are a variety of reasons. For starters, the two recent defeats have set Leeds' play-off chase back slightly, even if they were spirited defeats to the league leaders.
A loss against Hull FC tonight would be damaging to their win ratio. Should they lose, they'll be eight per cent behind sixth-placed Hull KR, a small percentage, of course, but a potentially fatal gap given the uncertainty surrounding how many fixtures there are actually left to be played.
Technically, Leeds should have another ten games to play. But with Covid-19 wreaking havoc across the competition, the recent spike in postponements would suggest the Rhinos are closer to the finishing line than the fixture list suggests. The same could be said of all those currently occupying playoff spots too.
Then there's the fact that Leeds need to keep picking off the games against the best teams. The win over Warrington was the crowning moment of the season so far but is the Rhinos' only win against a top-six side so far this season.
There are a variety of mitigating factors for that of course, the same applies for their league record. Nobody needs reminding that Leeds have been decimated by injuries all year.
That's not quite the case just now. While the likes of Rob Lui and Jake Walker are still absent, Richard Agar's squad is relatively healthy in comparison to most others in the league. Zane Tetevano's return only further adds to that this evening.
With a congested fixture schedule coming up again, Leeds have to knock off the wins when selection allows them the best possible chance. That, you would argue, is the case tonight.
There's no need for anyone to feel dispirited after the back-to-back Catalans defeats, Leeds still competed with the competition's best team two weeks running.
But with a flurry of games incoming, including tough games against Warrington and Castleford, tonight is a night when Leeds really need to get business done.
