Joke is on us admits Hull’s Westerman

Hull FC capitulated in an embarrassing 44-16 home loss to depleted champions Wigan Warriors on Friday, their biggest defeat of the season.

England Knights loose-forward Joe Westerman, whose Black and Whites side face Rovers at Magic Weekend on Saturday night, said: “We know we can play.

“I think we can beat anyone. We’ve lost narrowly to St Helens, Warrington and Castleford and we have to turn them into points. But after losing to Wakefield the week before and then doing that against Wigan, it is a joke really.

“It is a joke for the fans. But they have to stick by us and get there on Saturday in numbers for a big one.”

The Wigan debacle was Hull’s fourth home defeat of the year and came straight after, bizarrely, letting a 16-0 lead slip in the final 25 minutes versus struggling Wakefield.

Westerman is at a loss as to why they have struggled for consistency.

“We come to training with all the enthusiasm and we do all the little things right there; the coaching staff are really good, we listen and do everything right,” said the ex-Castleford forward.

“Then we come out on a weekend and do that. Is it enthusiasm? Is it a lack of confidence?

“You look at our previous games and we are losing by one or two points, then we come and perform like that after a week where we have worked hard and done everything right.”

Asked if he felt for Lee Radford, his former Hull team-mate now in charge at the 
KC Stadium, Westerman said: “We are all in this together.

“It’s not a case of whose fault is it; we are in this as a team and a squad and we have to play better as a squad and show more energy.

“The derby is an ideal game for us this week. If you don’t get up for a game like that then you don’t get up for any game of rugby league. After what they did to us last time (Rovers won 21-20 in the last minute at Craven Park over Easter) we definitely owe them one.”