Hull FC winger Bureta Faraimo wants to right the wrongs of 2018, after was sent off nine minutes into his first Hull Derby.
The 28-year-old saw red in the Good Friday victory over Hull KR last year, for a mis-timed tackle on Chris Atkin, in the first ever time he faced the club’s city rivals.
But, with Friday’s opening round clash with the Robins beckoning, the former Parramatta Eels winger is keen to ensure that he can rectify his wrongdoings last season, and compared the intensity of the Hull Derby to that of State of Origin.
“I was so disappointed to have left the field so early in the game at Craven Park last year, but on the flip side to that, if that hadn’t have happened, the boys might not have had that little bit of extra fire inside them to push on and get the win,” he said.
“I knew a little bit about the derby before I arrived last year but everything about the match was so much bigger than I expected. The intensity and the noise is genuinely like you’re in a State of Origin match and I can’t wait for Friday to come around.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it in Australia. There is a lot more on the line than just the two-points, and particularly the Hull-born lads remind us of that.”
“The atmosphere created from both sets of fans is incredible – obviously there are plenty of words exchanged between the supporters and the players on the field too, but at the end of the day it all adds to the atmosphere and everyone can shake hands afterwards.”
Faraimo added that he is not the only Hull FC player with a point to prove, as they Black and Whites lost 16-20 in the last meeting with their local rivals, on their way to an 11-game losing run, including two record defeats, that saw Lee Radford’s side end the season in poor form.
“Obviously they currently have the bragging rights so we’re going to be fighting hard to get them back,” he added.
“There is a hard balance to keep. We’re obviously pumped for our first game, never mind it being a derby match, but you have to keep a lid on that excitement – if you let the occasion go to your head it will drain your energy and you’re probably going to end up on the losing side.
“If you keep a level head, execute what you’ve been practicing all pre-season and use the emotion of the game in the right way, that will put you in a good place.”
