Lee Radford conceded that his team had lost to the better side after being defeated by St Helens.
The Black and Whites head coach saw his side’s unbeaten Easter end as the Saints marched on to yet another victory, extending their lead at the top of Super League to six points.
Radford refused to criticise his side’s efforts, but admitted they had been outplayed. “Both teams have played three games in eight days but they were just better than us on the night,” he said.
“They kicked better than us; every single kick was a challenge. They played the ball quicker and defended slower than we did. I am very envious of how well they played.
“To have only two middles available – both of them having already played two games in seven days, was very tough. We were always going to run out of steam but I can’t fault their effort. We know there are some things to fix up in the ruck.
“Saints did it really well though, so hopefully some of our boys can take note.”
Radford saved special praise for Josh Griffin and Josh Bowden, both of whom have impressed in recent weeks.
“Josh Griffin and Josh Bowden weren’t due to play tonight but both put their hands up to play and both were outstanding. I’m really pleased for them both over this Easter period; that’s one of the biggest positives for us to take out of this game.”
