Round 1
Hull FC 18 d. Wigan Warriors 10

2009 engage English Super League Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: engage English Super League

Hull FC add to Wigan's poor start
Mon February 16, 2009
Source: www.superleague.co.uk

Wigan Warriors's poor start to the new engage Super League season continued at the KC Stadium as they were deservedly beaten by a new-look Hull FC.

Brian Noble's men have attracted their fair share of criticism since their embarrassing 12-6 opening-day defeat at home to Wakefield Trinity Wildcats last Sunday.

Second-half tries from Lee Radford and Peter Cusack proved to be the key for Hull in their first outing of the season.

The Black and Whites looked a refreshed and more disciplined outfit from the injury-hit side that spluttered its way through 2008, and their new coaching set-up of Richard Agar and Jon Sharp will no doubt be pleased with the way their charges gradually assumed control of the game as it developed.

A largely uninspiring opening half saw the sides share two tries and enter the dressing rooms locked at 6-6.

The visitors were the first side to trouble the scoreboard with 11 minutes gone through Phil Bailey.

They were unlucky not to have been ahead sooner, with a fine tackle from debutant Mark Calderwood blocking off Pat Richards, but it mattered little as in the next play, Chris Thorman failed with an interception off a Darrell Goulding pass, handing Bailey a simple route to the line.

Hull responded well, though, first forcing a goal-line drop-out and then levelling the scores as Richard Horne marked his return to full fitness with a try crafted by some fine work at hooker by Shaun Berrigan.

Both tries were converted as Hull enjoyed the majority of the possession, although Wigan remained the more menacing with the ball in hand - a point underlined when it took a thumping tackle from Kirk Yeaman to deny Goulding a second Wigan try.

Danny Tickle then spurned a chance to put Hull ahead seconds before the hooter when he failed with a 40-yard penalty, and he was made to pay as Wigan put themselves back ahead two minutes after the restart.

Tim Smith's kick should have been comfortably dealt with by Calderwood, but the England winger was hesitant and Richards beat him to the chase and the line, although he did fail with the subsequent conversion.

Hull again responded well, with Graeme Horne being bundled out of play close to the line and Tom Briscoe punching his way through to run clear, although he chose the wrong option in not passing to the supporting Richard Horne and the move collapsed.

It merely delayed them edging ahead, though, as Radford produced a captain's effort with 57 minutes gone, managing to get under the posts following an Amos Roberts mistake.

Roberts - deputising at full-back for the suspended Richie Mathers - was caught flat-footed underneath a towering Thorman kick and allowed Tickle to beat him to the ball, from where he slapped a slightly suspect pass into the path of Radford who did the rest. Tickle's goal gave Hull the lead for the first time.

They refused to surrender that lead, with a fine tackle from Byrne again denying the unlucky Goulding, before they delivered the knockout blow with nine minutes remaining as Cusack belied his size to sidestep his way over after bursting through the line.

Report Source: www.superleague.co.uk


Airlie News: Hull FC v Wigan
Fri February 13, 2009
Source: www.hullfc.com

Hull FC will open their engage Super League campaign with a mouth-watering clash against Wigan Warriors at the KC Stadium tomorrow night (8pm).

Clashes between the two clubs have always been extra special and this promises to be no different.

Wigan have already started their campaign, suffering a shock home defeat against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats last weekend.

It is a defeat their coach Brian Noble will be expecting a response from and his opposite number, Hull boss Richard Agar is well aware of that but he is concentrating more on the performance of his own side.

Agar takes a look at the game ahead:

ARE YOU CONFIDENT YOUR TEAM ARE READY?
"I am confident we are ready to play now. We have had an extra long pre season, everyone has worked very hard and I am pleased where we are.

"But you can sense the players are now ready to step off the training field and into a match situation."

DO YOU THINK EMOTION WILL BE A FACTOR?
"With any start to a season, especially at home, there is an emotional factor. In many respects that is good although you don't want emotions to take over.

"I am confident we have enough experience in the squad to use our emotions but not allow them to control us."

WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE KEYS TO YOUR PREPARATION?
"Throughout our preparations for the season we have talked about setting standards for the year ahead, particularly defensively.

"We want to set ourselves high standards in every aspect of what we do. Once you do that then it is up to you to not only reach those standards but also maintain them on a regular basis."

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM WIGAN?
"Wigan have played their first game and after losing to Wakefield at home I am sure they will be looking for a response.

"Despite last weeks defeat I still believe Wigan will be in the mix at the end of the season.

"They have a lot of good players across the park in their squad and they command respect."

SQUADS:
Hull FC: 3 Todd Byrne, 24 Craig Hall, 21 Tom Briscoe, 2 Mark Calderwood, 4 Kirk Yeaman, 6 Richard Horne, 17 Graeme Horne, 7 Chris Thorman, 8 Ewan Dowes, 10 Peter Cusack, 19 Paul King, 18 Jamie Thackray, 9 Shaun Berrigan, 20 Danny Houghton, 12 Danny Tickle, 22 Mike Burnett, 16 Willie Manu, 11 Lee Radford, 15 Danny Washbrook.

Wigan Warriors: 2 Amos Roberts, 3 Darrell Goulding, 4 George Carmont, 5 Pat Richards, 6 Tim Smith, 7 Thomas Leuluai, 8 Stuart Fielden, 9 Mark Riddell, 10 Iafeta Paleaaesina, 11 Gareth Hock, 12 Phil Bailey, 13 Sean O'Loughlin, 14 Joel Tomkins, 15 Andy Coley, 16 Harrison Hansen, 17 Michael McIlorum, 19 Paul Prescott, 21 Cameron Phelps, 23 Eamon O'Carroll.

MATCH OFFICALS:
REFEREE: P Bentham
TOUCH JUDGE: W Turley, P Brooke
IN-GOAL: C Neilson, J Page
RESERVE REFEREE: C Dean
MATCH COMMISSIONER: S Cross

SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS AGAINST WIGAN:
Home: played 13, won 4, drawn 1, lost 8, for 277, against 309
Away: played 14, won 2, drawn 1, lost 11, for 165, against 576
Total: played 27, won 5, drawn 2, lost 19, for 432, against 885

RESULTS IN ALL MATCHES:
Played 162, Hull won 52, drawn 4, lost 106, for 1867, against 3330

News Source: www.hullfc.com

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