Hull FC 52 Salford City Reds 16: Westerman takes centre stage as Hull pummel Salford

Matt Parish only landed in England from Australia yesterday afternoon and arrived on Humberside knowing his new charges would displace Hull in eighth spot if they won Phil Veivers’s final game in caretaker charge. But, having been part of the New South Wales camp that lost the State of Origin series on Wednesday, Parish was forced to taste defeat again as Hull turned on the style with a nine-try display.

England hopeful Joe Westerman was the star of the show, filling in at stand-off and producing a stunning display, while England winger Tom Briscoe scored an impressive hat-trick.

The game was played amid a thunderstorm – and Hull stormed into an early lead that they would never surrender. After eight minutes Westerman, deputising at No 6 owing to Sam Obst’s injury, made the first of several clean breaks which created a four-on-two situation that was eventually finished off by Danny Tickle, with the same player adding the extras.

Daniel Holdsworth planted the restart out on the full and three minutes later Hull scored their second try. Westerman’s short pass sent Cameron Phelps bursting down the right and, after some neat hands by prop pair Sam Moa and Mark O’Meley, play went left through Richard Horne who fed Briscoe in the corner.

Hull scored a third try not long after, Jordan Turner making it 10 for the season and their fourth again saw Westerman involved. He held the ball up for Tickle to chime into the line at the right time and scorch in.

Phelps created a three-man overlap which Briscoe finished off to give Hull a 28-0 half-time lead.

Westerman got the try his performance deserved in the 48th minute. His towering kick to the right found Richard Whiting and, after the winger leapt over Jodie Broughton, he palmed the ball back inside to Westerman who had followed up his own kick.

Jodie Broughton, who had two loan spells with Hull, then wriggled around Whiting to get a Salford consolation, before Turner, a former Salford player, got his second when he again made use of good work on the right to step around Luke Patten and score.

Briscoe then scored the try of the night, spying an opening and going the length of the field to move level with Kirk Yeaman’s 18-try tally, before Danny Washbrook bundled over from close range as Hull cut loose.

Salford did register two more token efforts through Vinnie Anderson and Chris Nero, but it was Hull’s night.

Hull FC: Phelps, Whiting, Turner, Yeaman, T. Briscoe, Washbrook, Horne, O’Meley, Houghton, Moa, Manu, Tickle, Westerman. Substitutes: Sharp, Radford, Dowes, Lauaki.

Salford City Reds: Patten, Broughton, Gibson, Ratchford, Henry, Holdsworth, Smith, Cashmere, Godwin, Boyle, Nero, L. Adamson, Anderson. Substitutes: Sidlow, Jewitt, Paleaaesina, Neal.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).