Hull FC 44 Catalans Dragons 0: Semi-final spot sealed as Airlie Birds enjoy perfect night

Hull FC’s Lee Radford happily saw both those wishes come true last night but, in picking up yet another fine win, also managed to secure the treble-chasing East Yorkshire club’s place in the Super League semi-finals, too.

To do that with four Super 8 games still remaining is some feat and they have now opened a three-point gap at the top of Super League from Warrington Wolves, their opponents in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup final a week on Saturday, who host in-form Castleford tomorrow.

To add to Radford’s delight, in vanquishing an admittedly wretched Catalans Dragons side, they have also kept opponents pointless for two successive weeks.

Their preparation for hopefully finally winning at Wembley cannot have gone any better.

Mahe Fonua was the pick of the bunch, the giant centre who scored two tries but whose explosive all-around skills are simply made for that arena.

Scrum-half Marc Sneyd delivered two second-half 40/20 kicks – he may soon challenge Huddersfield’s Danny Brough as the best exponent of that skill – to, importantly, prove there are no lingering effects from the ankle knock that kept him out of last Thursday’s 36-0 win at Widnes.

He controlled the game superbly, slotted eight kicks from nine attempts and is a far better player than the one who struggled in a Challenge Cup final with Castleford two years ago.

Radford rested captain Gareth Ellis, prop Liam Watts and second-row Sika Manu – all mainstays of their formidable pack – in readiness for Warrington.

Danny Washbrook, rested at Widnes, returned to show his versatility with a solid offering at both loose forward and hooker as Danny Houghton, the tireless No9 who normally completes 80 minutes, was able to rest his legs late on.

Of the three looking to press their claims for the one remaining Wembley bench spot – if it is, as thought, Jordan Thompson, Josh Bowden and Dean Hadley – then the latter probably did most to sway the coach’s mind.

Catalans lost narrowly 28-26 on their last trip to the KC Stadium at the end of April when, remarkably, a win would have put them top with Warrington.

What has happened since? This embarrassment was their seventh defeat in eight games and all but ends their hopes of ousting St Helens from fourth.

Admittedly, they were without Todd Carney, the Australian stand-off ruled out for the season with a knee injury, among others, but there was no excuse for such a pathetic display.

They were undone, initially, by two fortuitous kicks, both from Sneyd and never recovered.

The first, a dinked grubber in the 12th minute, bounced wickedly to elude players from both sides until Hadley, dotted down.

Sneyd chipped a kick soon after but this time there was no Catalans challenge – a sign of the meekness to come – and, so, Fonua, sat on the ground having landed on his backside when advancing himself, was able to grab the ball for another easy score.

It took the Tongan’s try-tally into double figures for the season and the sight of the marauding centre tearing into Warrington next week is enough to whet the appetite alone.

After Vincent Duport butchered an opportunity for Catalans, the centre having made a rare break through Hull’s defence, Radford’s side showed them how it should be done with a sublime third try.

Sneyd’s long pass found Kirk Yeaman in motion and the centre, a sole survivor from FC’s 2005 Challenge Cup winning vintage, did well to put his winger Fetuli Talanoa in space.

He then slowed before darting again to beat the cover and Mark Minichiello, the quality Australian second-row, was, as ever, in support to score.

Sneyd improved all three and added on two more penalties shortly before the break but only after Catalans’ Jordan Sigismeau endured what will probably the worst three minutes of his career.

First he was bullied into touch and then twice dropped the ball in front of his own posts, once under no pressure whatsoever.

The half-time break did not do the 23-year-old winger – making his first Catalans appearance of the season with Jodie Broughton injured – any good, either.

He spilled again coming in from a scrum on his own 20 barely two minutes into the second period, allowing Jamie Shaul to pick up and send Talanoa over for his 16th try of the year.

Next, Thompson thought he had blasted his way through more hopeless French defence but was denied due to an obstruction.

Catalans finally managed to hold onto the ball long enough for Gregory Mounis to barge over but Hadley held him up and, to rub it in, Fonua intercepted a pass later in that set to race 85m for his second.

When Dave Taylor was penalised for a dangerous tackle on Hadley, the irrepressible Fonua twisted out of yet more tackles to turn creator for Sneyd.

Frank Pritchard also crossed towards the end before Catalans captain Remi Casty was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Steve Michaels.

Hull FC: Shaul; Michaels, Fonua, Yeaman, Talanoa; Tuimavave, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Bowden, Minichiello, Hadley, Washbrook. Substitutes: Abdull, Green, Thompson, Pritchard.

Catalans Dragons: Escare; Yaha, Garcia, Duport, Sigismeau; Gigot, Albert; Bousquet, Aiton, Casty, Stewart, Taylor, Baitieri. Substitutes: Pelissier, Mounis, Elima, Navarrete.

Referee: Phil Bentham (Warrington)