Jake Connor's half-time words that added to Hull FC belief in win over Huddersfield Giants

Connor – back at the MKM Stadium for the first time since his departure – was speaking in the tunnel with the teams locked at 8-8 at the end of a fiercely contested opening 40 minutes.

The Black and Whites came out firing after the interval to take a firm grip on the contest thanks to Chris Satae's powerful effort and Liam Sutcliffe's second try.

Esan Marsters scored late on – adding to Chris McQueen's first-half try – but Smith's side held their nerve to secure a first win in eight games.

"I told them at half-time that's a team that I like to coach," said Smith.

"I enjoyed some of their attack and loved their defence. There was some attitude and desperation – I love that. I really enjoyed the first half and told them so.

"I had the pleasure of walking up the tunnel behind my team and Jake Connor was first up the tunnel for their team and was telling my players that was the best half they've played all year.

"He was right. I asked my players at half-time to see if they want to play better than that in the second half.

"They all heard Jake telling them it was their best half. We wanted to make that first half the second best half of the year. They weren't far off it. I appreciated that."

It was a forgettable return to Hull for Connor after coming out on the wrong side of the result despite several positive contributions.

The half-back forced three drop-outs in the first half and laid on Marsters' try with a deft grubber, while he also kicked all three attempts at goal.

Giants head coach Ian Watson said: "I thought he was good but I felt we could have got a bit more shape coming out of yardage early doors to ask a few more questions.

"We were getting physically beat up by their pack and weren't getting to the right positions to play with some shape, so when we did play with some shape he was shut down a little bit.

"The more the game got going and a bit more loose, you started to see some good touches from Jake.

"His short kicking game in the first half was good; it was our long kicks that weren't being put deep enough – (Davy) Litten was catching them on the 30 and 20. We weren't putting them where we needed to put them."