Tony Smith says his squad are prepared to face their current challenges head-on ahead of Sunday’s Betfred Super League Round Three clash against London Broncos.
The Black & Whites still possess an extensive list of unavailable players ahead of the match, with up to 13 first-team squad members missing out through injury and suspension, but will be aiming to pick up their first points of the season this weekend.
Hull welcome back influential trio Carlos Tuimavave, Danny Houghton and Ligi Sao ahead of the match, as well as bolstering their squad with loanee additions Matty Russell and Joe Bullock.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Smith said: “It’s hard work at the minute. The pitch last week was a tough one to play on, as well as being down to twelve men for over 40 minutes. It has a physical toll, but they’re shaping up okay our boys.
“They’re over that and ready for the next challenge. We’re looking forward to it. We’re over our tiredness and soreness, and there’s a spring in our step and we’re looking at our next opposition.
“I’m not feeling sorry for myself or us. It is what is. You’ve just got to get on with it and you toughen up from it. We’d like to be off to a better start and flying along, but we’re not going to sit around moping about it. We’ve got to crack on with the next challenge and look forward to that.
Smith added: “There are heaps of challenges in Super League, we’re copping some now, other teams will go through some of it at different stages of the year and we’ll be flying along at some stage when they’re doing their tough bit. That happens when you stay positive. If you stay negative, feel sorry for yourself and look for excuses, that’s when you tend to get more of those things happening to you. We’re certainly not in that category – we’re going to get smarter and better and hopefully stronger throughout the season.
He continued: “Whoever we were playing this week, it’s another competition game that is worth two points. It’s important to us.
“The last two were important to us as well. We’ve got out there and given it a crack in each one of them. Things haven’t come our way in terms of results and some of the rub of the green, but the lucky teams are the harder-working teams.
“We need to keep working hard. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference between a lot of teams last week – the odd sin bin, the odd bounce of the ball, the odd ricochet – was probably the difference in a couple of those matches. You’ve got to keep working hard and make that luck come around for you. When you ride that luck through hard work, it will bring you out of the other side. We’ve got to keep that attitude no matter who we are playing this week. We need to play well.”
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