Hull FC forward Frank Pritchard insists the club have yet another opportunity to “rewrite history” tonight in their winner-takes-all showdown with Warrington.
The Black and Whites stand 80 minutes away from leg two of the treble, with victory against Tony Smith’s side at the KCOM Stadium enough to secure the League Leader’s Shield for the first time in the Super League era.
And Pritchard told TotalRL that although Hull found it tougher than expected to back up following the euphoria of their Wembley triumph, it is a relief to have destiny back in their own hands once again.
“It’s pretty tough losing games after Wembley, but that’s the game,” he said.
“It was a tough win against Wakefield but it’s never easy trying to back up after those games. It’s been a long season but what we’ve got is the chance to rewrite history with the League Leader’s Shield up for grabs once again this week.
“It was a bit tougher than I expected but the RFL need to look at it now.
“Teams who play all those games – especially the cup final – they should have the week off after it. The other teams will be fresh and have two weeks off and in terms of duty of care and player welfare and that, I’d look at it. However, that’s not an excuse; we’ve been off it a little bit but we got the win last week which was great.
“The shield is up for grabs – if that’s not motivation enough, I don’t know what is.”
Pritchard also believes that the other incentive which comes with victory tonight – a home semi-final in the play-offs – is another thing not to be sniffed at when it comes to motivation.
He said: “Getting a home semi-final would be huge. Our fans have been incredible this year, following us in rain, hail or shine, but giving them a chance to play at home again will be enormous.
“We set some big goals to achieve this year and with the unbreakable bond we’ve got, we remain confident we can do something special this year.”
