HULL FC are on course to break the 20,000 barrier once again as eager fans gear up for another big derby meeting on Good Friday.
More than 19,000 seats have already been taken up for the Super League showdown at the MKM Stadium, with the entire lower bowl accounted for.
That’s after 20,226 watched Hull KR win 32-16 at the 25,000-plus venue to make the Challenge Cup semi-finals.
It was the biggest attendance for a quarter-final tie in the famous old competition since 1989.
Last season’s Super League showdowns between the old rivals which took place in the west of the city drew gates of 20,014 and 15,392, the dip on the second occasion reflecting the Black and Whites’ on-field struggles.
Results have improved under Australian coach John Cartwright, who will have a first FC win in four league derbies in his sights.
He will aim to put lessons lessons from the cup clash into practice, saying: “I was really disappointed with how we handled the first half.
“I thought we competed physically, especially in the first 20 minutes. They made a lot of errors, and we were forcing the errors upon them, but unfortunately we were also making errors.
“We didn’t really give ourselves a chance to play any football up their end because we dropped the ball early in the tackle count.
“They came out of defending their line, and scored a good try, then the try off a kick was a big turning point. It was just one of those ones, I don’t think it was anyone’s fault. The kick landed in no man’s land, and they got a good bounce.
“At 12-0, all the momentum was with them, they had a strong breeze at their back, and they made us pay. They got the try before half-time and at 18-0 it was always going to be a tough task.
“In the second half, there were some good patches. We knew we had to play football to try and break them down. I thought we threatened a lot.
“We finished the game on a positive note, and I think we can take a lot out of it. We can fully start to believe that we are a side that is starting to change.”