HULL FC 34 WARRINGTON WOLVES 2
ASHLEY HOPE, MKM Stadium, Saturday
Hull FC stylistically showed their play-off credentials with a solid victory over Warrington Wolves, who had seen the end of their own finals hopes several weeks ago.
A six-try romp of eighth-place Warrington was the difference, as the hosts sit hot on the trail of Wakefield Trinity – who did them no favours in seeing off bitter rivals Hull KR – heading into the last round.
In spite of fielding a heavily depleted side, Hull had started with an air of confidence and showed little signs of having a beleaguered squad.
Aidan Sezer’s inviting kick down-field and Zak Hardaker’s early launch into the Wolves’ line were early indicators of a home side out for the hunt.
The Wolves came with an armoury of their own, but Hull looked equally resilient at the back. Harvey Barron chased down a try-bound Cai Taylor-Wright, who was also met by an equally robust Tom Briscoe close to the line.
Briscoe was ruled to be offside in his next tackle, and Marc Sneyd slotted over the penalty from close range.
But that was the only real nibble the Wolves were given, with a resolute Hull side defending enforcedly as a collective unit.
By stark contrast, Warrington were unable to cope – at times – with the Black and Whites’ patience, persistence and precision in attack.
A 17th minute ball spill from Liam Watts offered little deterrence, neither did the inconclusive Captain’s Challenge. Hull were focused. Very focused!
For the visitors, their focus was off-piece and fractured even more when Lachlan Fitzgibbon was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on Sam Eseh.
Momentum was already Hull’s, by this point, but they had to turn that into money on the scoreboard – if the extra-man was worth its value.
And they did. They really did.
On 21 minutes, Hull’s number 22 Lewis Martin seized a slick cross-field pass from Davy Litten to score his season’s 23rd try.
Something clearly aligned for Hull, even more so on the 24th minute, when Barron surged downfield to feed in number 25 Denive Balmforth, for a second try in quick succession.
With a pitch-side Fitzgibbon ready to reinstate the Wolves to full strength, Hull were becoming merciless. Aidan Sezer joined the scoring entourage by sliding over for a try, after his initial kick sparked danger, with the last Fitzgibbon saw from the touchline being Hardaker’s third conversion.
Hull were kicking on and Sezer’s boot was becoming a huge proponent of Hull’s instincts in attack. His lofted kick found the hurtling hands of Barron, who crossed over for a 37th minute try, as the hosts headed for the break in control.
Warrington knew they needed more, when play resumed, if they were to match Hull’s energy. Toby King grounded what seemed like the half’s first try, in rapid fashion, but James Duffy was ruled to be in-touch as he served up the pass.
That only spurred Hull on though, as Barron wasted little time in gliding through the Wolves’ line. Too quickly, it would seem, as he found himself tackled without a teammate in support.
Sezer then thrashed through another flirtatious stab into Wolves territory, but Hull were unable to replicate their first-half clinical scoring once again.
Hull were being tested at the other end, Logan Moy’s defensive temperament was tested when Max Wood ruptured Hull’s scampering line.
Those first-half points gave Hull a clear cushion, but the game was beginning to soften as handling errors and unstructured sets were creeping into the grubbing ascendancy.
With Hull under the masterful stewardship of Sezer, though, chances were not to far away. Neither was their fifth try, either, as Jordan Lane found his way to the end of another Sezer grubber kick to score on the hour mark.
Just as in the first-half, that gave Hull an instant boost. Only four minutes later, Hardaker intelligently scrambled over from dummy-half, and subsequently converted to make it 34-2.
Jake Thewlis’s try was ruled to have been offside, as Warrington frustrated themselves with unfored errors, with a repeat set of six at the other end testing their mettle even further. Hull continued asking questions, as the hooter closed, as John Cartwright’s side held never stopped fighting until that final whistle.
GAMESTAR: Harvey Barron was excellent, on the wing, but any one of Hull’s try scorers shone in attack.
GAMEBREAKER: Lachlan Fiztgibbon’s sin-binning, in the first-half gave Hull the chance to capitalise when they were already asking serious questions.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Aidan Sezer’s kick for Harvey Barron’s 37th-minute try was inch perfect, as his deathly kicking out-kicked even Marc Sneyd.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 Harvey Barron (Hull FC)
2 Aidan Sezer (Hull FC)
1 Zak Hardaker (Hull FC)
MATCHFACTS
HULL FC
23 Logan Moy
2 Harvey Barron
5 Tom Briscoe
20 Davy Litten
22 Lewis Martin
30 Callum Kemp
7 Aidan Sezer
21 Will Gardiner
25 Denive Balmforth
41 Liam Watts
3 Zak Hardaker
12 Jordan Lane
19 Brad Fash
Subs (all used)
14 Cade Cust
27 Matty Laidlaw
31 Hugo Salabio
39 Sam Eseh
18th man (used)
34 Lloyd Kemp
Also in 21-man squad
24 Jack Charles
29 Ryan Westerman
32 Will Kirby
Tries: Martin (21), Balmforth (24), Sezer (29), Barron (37), Lane (60), Hardaker (64)
Goals: Hardaker 5/6
WOLVES
23 Cai Taylor-Wray
2 Josh Thewlis
3 Toby King
42 James Duffy
28 Jake Thewlis
19 Stefan Ratchford
33 Marc Sneyd
11 Joe Philbin
9 Danny Walker
27 Luke Thomas
38 Sam Stone
12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon
40 Ryan Matterson
Subs (all used)
14 Sam Powell
21 Adam Holroyd
24 Max Wood
43 Tom McKinney
18th man (not used)
1 Matt Dufty
Also in 21-man squad
6 George Williams
36 Ewan Irwin
41 Ewan Smith
Goals: Sneyd 1/1
Sin bin: Fitzgibbon (20) – shoulder to head
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull FC: Aidan Sezer; Wolves: Danny Walker
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 6-2, 12-2, 18-2, 22-2; 28-2, 34-2
Penalty count: 3-2
Half-time: 22-2
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 10,494