Hull FC 38-12 Huddersfield Giants

Hull FC made a great second-half comeback to get their Super League campaign underway with a 38-12 victory over Huddersfield Giants.

The Black and Whites were poor in the first half but unstoppable in the second, turning a potential upset into a comfortable win with a flurry of tries, including a hat-trick for Fetuli Talanoa.

Hull had made a promising start to the game, and a penalty inside two minutes allowed Marc Sneyd to score the first points of the new Super League season. Shortly after Albert Kelly made a good break to put them in a great position, and after they were awarded another penalty they again elected to go for goal and Sneyd made it 4-0.

From there the momentum shifted, as two penalties gave Huddersfield repeat sets close to the Hull line and Ryan Hinchcliffe eventually drove over for the game’s first try. Soon the lead was extended, as a smart grubber kick from Adam O’Brien allowed Ukuma Ta’ai to touch down.

Hull were conceding far too many penalties, and struggled to make it out of their own half as a result. Huddersfield kept on the front foot, and would have had another try if not for the fingertips of Talanoa, reaching a Lee Gaskell pass that would have put Darnell McIntosh clear on the right wing.

Hull were gifted great position 20m out with a penalty and in the resulting set Albert Kelly went over from close range, and Sneyd’s conversion closed the gap to two. A Jake Mamo error gave them a goal line drop out straight after but the hooter denied them in the resulting set and the Giants held on for the half time lead.

When Hull are at their best, they need Marc Sneyd at his best, and he turned the game in their favour in the first ten minutes of the second half. First he kicked a sublime 40/20, giving them the field position from which Talanoa went over in the corner. Minutes later he played a great chip over the Huddersfield defence straight into the arms of Talanoa for his second try. Both were converted by Sneyd and the home side had a ten point lead.

From that point there looked to be only one team in it. Great work by Kelly created an overload on the right and Jake Connor crossed over, before a delightful move on the left saw the ball move from Sneyd to Minichiello to Talanoa for his hat-trick.

The Giants defence was being ripped apart, and the final try was the worst for Mamo, disappointing throughout the game, who dropped a catch with the ball landing perfectly for Jamie Shaul to round off the performance.

Lineups:

Hull FC: Shaul; Faraimo, Connor, Griffin, Talanoa; Kelly, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Paea; Minichiello, Manu, Hadley
Interchanges: Bowden, Abdull, Turgut, Matongo

Huddersfield: Mamo; McIntosh, Gaskell, Turner, Murphy; Rankin, Brough; Walne, O’Brien, Ta’ai; Roberts, Lawrence, Hinchcliffe
Interchanges: Ikahihifo, Leeming, Clough, Smith