Hull FC went down 34-16 to the reigning Super League Champions St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium this evening.
Saints played at a blistering pace, with Jack Welsby scoring a hat-trick and Lachlan Coote, Morgan Knowles and Joe Batchelor also going over the whitewash for the hosts.
Adam Swift scored against his former club, whilst Mahe Fonua notched a second half double, but the mountain was too tall to climb for the Black & Whites.
Team News
Brett Hodgson made two changes to his matchday squad, with prop forwards Jack Brown and Josh Bowden both coming in to start on the bench.
Andre Savelio and Bureta Faraimo were the pair to drop out of the matchday squad.
Without first choice wingers Regan Grace and Tommy Makinson, Saints opted to play Jack Welsby and Kevin Naiqama on the edges, with youngster Josh Simm called up to play at centre.
Alex Walmsley returned to the starting line-up for the hosts, alongside Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook in the front row.
The Match
After letting the kick-off go dead, Hull made the worst possible start to the game, as from the resulting set Jack Welsby went over in the left corner. Coote nailed the touchline conversion to make it 6-0 with less than three minutes gone.
The champions flexed their muscle once again moments later when Coote reached out and planted the ball down not long after a break from Mark Percival.
But after forcing an error, Hull fought their way back into the contest. A well timed kick to the corner from Jake Connor sent Swift diving in for a try against his former club. Sneyd dragged the conversion wide.
Saints extended their lead again on the back of several quick play-the-balls. Knowles made space in close proximity to Hull’s line and sidestepped over the whitewash on the last tackle of the set. Coote converted to make it 16-4.
With ten minutes to go until half-time, Coote made it 18-4 with a penalty goal after FC were penalised for being offside beneath their sticks.
On the approach to half-time, Saints went over for their fourth try of the match after a shift play found its way into the arms of Welsby. Coote missed the kick.
HALF-TIME: Saints 22-4 Hull
Hull’s night went from bad to worse seven minutes into the second half. Connor uncharacteristically fumbled a high kick, which allowed Welsby to pick up the pieces and dot the ball down for his hat-trick.
Hull gave themselves a lifeline in the game when they ventured deep into Saints’ territory for the first time in the second half. Connor fizzed a pass towards Fonua, who took it well and avoided two tacklers to score in the corner.
The hosts put the game out of Hull’s reach when Morgan Knowles made a clinical break down the middle of the field. He found Jonny Lomax in support and he unselfishly gave it back to Batchelor on the inside. Coote added the extras.
Hull weren’t going out without a fight, though. After coming up with two heroic tackles to deny Naiqama late in the second half, Fonua scored his second of the night on the hooter as Sneyd delicately hoisted a kick to the right corner. Sneyd converted to bring the game to a 34-16 finish.
FULL-TIME: Saints 34-16 Hull
Squads & Scorers
Hull: Connor, Swift, Griffin, Tuimavave, Fonua, Reynolds, Sneyd, Satae, Houghton, Sao, Lane, Ma’u, Cator
Hull Interchanges: Bowden, Brown, Fash, Johnstone
Hull Tries: Swift, Fonua (2)
Hull Goals: Sneyd (2/3)
Saints: Coote, Naiqama, Simm, Percival, Welsby, Lomax, Fages, Walmsley, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Thompson, Mata’utia, Knowles
Saints Interchanges: Amor, Batchelor, Dodd, Paasi
Saints Tries: Welsby (3), Coote, Knowles, Batchelor
Saints Goals: Coote (5/7)
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