Former Hull FC head coach Peter Sharp has explained his Black & White squad were a “special bunch” during the 2006 campaign.
The Australian reflected on the side that won a record-breaking 13 games in a row, as well as reaching the Super League Grand Final for the first time.
Sharp, who is now Head of Recruitment at Parramatta Eels, returned to the UK in November 2019, and was joined by former teammates of Danny Washbrook for his final testimonial dinner including Paul Cooke, Richard Horne, and Ewan Dowes.
Speaking to hullfc.com, Sharp said: “When I first arrived, I already knew Richard Swain quite well which really helped me settle in. He filled me in on all the information I needed about the club and players and the city too.
“I knew Hull was a rugby town and you could feel that as soon as you step foot in the city. It’s a great place with great people.
“I was really impressed by the calibre of the players at the club and the culture they had set over the previous few years.”
Coming into the club after a poor start to the season, Sharp explained that he didn’t have to change much in the squad given the talent that was readily available to him.
“I didn’t change too much when I arrived. The main concern for me was a lack of confidence in their own ability. I had to help them grow and over time that came.
“We had some guys in the squad with superb talent: Horne, Cooke, Raynor, Yeaman. There was so much skill there. It’s too hard to pick out players in particular who played the most important role because everyone played their part.
“The pack was a really special bunch; Carvell, Radders, Dowes, McMenemy, Washbrook. All-round we had a really tidy side.”
On the highlights of his tenure at the club, Sharp said: “The Leeds and St Helens games on the road are the games that stick out for me in that run. I think the day Cookie knocked over that drop-goal at Knowsley Road to beat Saints 27-26 is when people really started to consider us as contenders.
“The night against Bradford was sensational, and there was a great buzz around the city to make out first Grand Final. We didn’t play our best that day but it was a truly special night.”
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