Hull FC home issues resurface with Giants loss

Yahoo

3 days ago

Betfred Super League
Hull FC (4) 14
Tries: Martin 3 Goals: Charles
Huddersfield (18) 30
Tries: Swift, Greenwood, Bibby, Flanagan, Lolohea Goals: Flanagan 5
Hull FC missed the chance to move back into Super League's play-off positions with a shock home loss to lowly Huddersfield Giants.
They would have leapfrogged Wakefield Trinity into the sixth and final spot, but were well beaten at MKM Stadium.
They have now won only one of their eight home games this season - a record that is seriously harming their play-off prospects.
Tries from Adam Swift, Joe Greenwood and Jake Bibby put the visitors in a commanding half-time lead.
Scores after the break from George Flanagan and Tui Lolohea confirmed the win, despite a hat-trick for Hull winger Lewis Martin.
The Giants remain 11th despite the victory, but they have won three of their past five away games.
Huddersfield had been hammered by Wakefield last time out, but showed fine early defence to deny Harvey Barron and then Davy Litten from scoring tries in the corners.
Then Swift capitalised on his side's first good field position to put them ahead.
Martin's first try got Hull on the board, but two tries in three minutes allowed the Giants to take control.
Greenwood touched down after a fine little kick from Matt Frawley, before Bibby took advantage of loose play between Aidan Sezer and Jordan Rapana to run in from inside his own half.
Flanagan's try and goal extended the gap to 20 points early in the second period although Martin reduced that with his second try, but Lolohea powered over straight after to restore the cushion.
Martin's final try was the pick of the game which allowed some fine footwork and handling involving him and Litten, but Hull's performance was a far cry from the one which had won at Wigan Warriors seven days ago.
Hull FC head coach John Cartwright told BBC Radio Humberside:
"We never really got into the game. It wasn't a game you wanted to be coming from behind and chasing points.
"To their credit, they got in front, they got the jump on us and were good enough to stay in front. I thought Huddersfield played really well today.
(On difference from last week at Wigan): "Very frustrating, very much so. Errors again were through the roof.
"That's the story of the game. Too many errors and too many soft tries. A week off coming this week may be coming at the right time."
Huddersfield Giants head coach Luke Robinson told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It's never nice going into a break on the back of a loss so I'm really proud of the lads.
"I thought we were on an upward trajectory the past four or five weeks and the Wakefield loss felt like a step backwards.
"We had some honest conversations and if I didn't get a response, I would have felt like something was wrong.
"Thankfully for me, the club, everyone involved, the lads responded really, really well."
Hull FC: Hardaker; Barron, Litten, Rapana, Martin; Charles, Sezer; Ese'ese, Cust, Knight, Ashworth, Cartwright, Aydin.
Interchanges: Briscoe, Bourouh, Eseh, Watts.
Huddersfield: Flanagan; Gagai, Milne, Bibby, Swift; Lolohea, Frawley; Powell, Woolford, Rogers, Rushton, Greenwood, Cudjoe.
Interchanges: Golding, English, King, Burgess.
Referee: Tom Grant.