Hull FC have opened up their Super League XV season with a stunning 32-12 win against St.Helens at the GPW Recruitment Stadium, sending a strong message to their rivals.

A Sean Long inspired Hull ran in two first half tries courtesy of two thirds of the Tongan Mafia, with Willie Manu and Epalahame Lauaki crossing the whitewash in foggy conditions in Lancashire.

Long himself furthered the lead in the second period, capping a superb night for the former Saints scrum-half, while Tom Briscoe increased their advantage with a sensational 75-metre effort to put the game seemingly beyond doubt.

Saints did fight their way back into the tie with just 20 minutes left, running in two scores of their own while Hull’s Jordan Tansey endured a spell in the sin bin, before an historic victory was secured for the Black and Whites when Kirk Yeaman opened his account for the season late on.

It is only Hull’s second ever win at Saints in the Super League era and just their seventeenth win at Knowsley Road in the long and illustrious history of both clubs.

The Match

Sean Long inspired Hull FC to a stunning 32-12 win at the GPW Recruitment Stadium against his former club St Helens as the Airlie Birds began the new Super League season in the best possible fashion.

Long, a veteran of 12 years at Saints, moved to Hull at the end of last season to begin a new chapter in his silverware-laden career, and by a delightful twist of fate his first game at the club he now captains was at the ground where he made his name in the sport.

The game was scheduled to kick off at 5.45, but due to heavy fog the game was delayed for fifteen minutes, with some serious doubt as to whether the match would take place at all.

However, despite the fog still hampering the vision of the 12412 fans inside the ground, the match went ahead.

The early passages were full of physical rugby, with both sets of forwards looking to gain an advantage and allow the two scrum halves Long and Kyle Eastmond, the man Saints coach Mick Potter groomed to be Long’s replacement, the chance to show off their attacking skills.

Hull went close when Mark O’Meley was stopped just a metre from the line, and again when Jordan Tansey failed to gather Richard Horne’s kick.

And having shone early on, the Black and Whites took the lead on 28 minutes, when Willie Manu received a cut-out pass from Sean Long to power past Paul Wellens and bag the opening try of the game, improved by a Danny Tickle conversion.

Saints’ efforts were hit by injuries to Ade Gardner (rib) and new signing Sia Soliola (ankle) and Hull’s new look side rubbed further salt into the wounds as Epalahame Lauaki launched a thunderous run towards the Saints line, beating Leon Pryce and crossing for an impressive try, again converted by Tickle, which saw Hull lead in the fog 12-0 at half time.

After the break Danny Tickle took the early opportunity to slot over a penalty to extend Hull’s lead, and from then on in Richard Agar’s men never looked back as they sealed the opening two points of the season.

33 year-old Long had been provider for Manu in the first half, and he soon found his own name on the scoresheet, as Richard Horne broke through the middle and, with four men to his left, passed to the on-running Long who beat his man and brought about a deafening cheer from a healthy Hull following at the other end of the pitch, as Hull charged into a 20-0 lead.

With the home fans stunned and the Hull fans enthusing with chants such as ‘we can’t see what’s going on’ as the mist descended, it was to get even better for the Black and Whites.

England winner Tom Briscoe sprinted 70 metres to score a marvellous individual try, showing similarities to the length of the field try that introduced the Featherstone-born winger to the game in the Hull derby in 2008, a try completed in sublime style even though he only had one boot on after losing one of them in the build up to the try!

Jordan Tansey received a yellow card for a professional foul with quarter of an hour remaining, and his departure from the field signalled a mini-revival for Saints, with Matt Gidley receiving a try via a video-ref decision before Chris Flannery crossed to slightly unsettle the nerves of the Hull players and fans.

However, having dominated for the whole match, Hull FC capped a magnificent performance with a try through Kirk Yeaman just three minutes from time, as the centre, returning to Super League for the first time since last August due to injury, latched on to Long’s kick and crossed for Hull’s fifth try of the night.

Craig Fitzgibbon, outstanding on his Super League debut, converted both Yeaman and Briscoe’s tries, and as the final hooter sounded, the Airlie Birds celebrated the opening win of a season full of promise, inspired by the enigmatic Sean Long in a match he was destined to star in.

St Helens: Wellens; Gardner, Gidley, Soliola, Wheeler; Pryce, Eastmond;
Graham, Cunningham (c), Fozzard; Puletua, Flannery; Wilkin. Subs - Roby, Moore,
Clough, Fa’asavalu

Hull FC: Tansey; Hall, Whiting, Yeaman, Briscoe; Horne, Long; O’Meley,
Berrigan, Radford; Manu, Tickle; Fitzgibbon. Subs - Dowes, Lauaki, Cusack,
Houghton

Referee: Ben Thaler

Tries:

Saints: Gidley, Flannery. Goals: Eastmond 2/2
Hull FC: Tries: Manu, Lauaki, Long, Briscoe, Yeaman. Goals: Tickle 4/4,
Fitzgibbon 2/2

Attendance: 12412