Hull FC coach Lee Radford thrilled after Marc Sneyd shines in six-try win over rivals Hull KR

DELIGHTED Hull FC head coach Lee Radford believes his side have rediscovered themselves following last night's crucial 36-12 derby win over Hull KR.
Steve Michaels scores Hull FC's fifth try.Steve Michaels scores Hull FC's fifth try.
Steve Michaels scores Hull FC's fifth try.

After a 10-game unbeaten run was ended with defeats to bottom two Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos, the Airlie Birds had lost top spot in Super League.

But a six-try destruction of their city rivals saw them reclaim pole position from Wigan Warriors, if only maybe for 24 hours.

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Radford said: “I wasn’t pleased with the result last week against Leeds but I didn’t think our performance was far off.

“But tonight I felt a lot of our players looked like their old selves.

“That’s credit to them as this is a big challenge this game, in particular everything they (Hull KR) had riding on it.

“But the way we went about our business was really pleasing.”

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Rovers had to win to keep their hopes alive of avoiding the bottom four but they are now consigned to the Qualifiers regardless of what happens in next Thursday’s final regular game against Leeds.

They pushed FC hard early on but were repelled and, eventually, had no answer as Marc Sneyd’s kicking picked them apart.

Radford, whose side round off at Salford next Friday, added: “We defended our try line really well in that early period.

“I’d love to have been defending down the other end of the field but unfortunately that was not the case.

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“But to come out the other end and put points on them like we did, I was really pleased for the boys.”

Hooker Danny Houghton, who scored from one of scrum-half Sneyd’s piercing grubbers, was at the heart of their effort.

He said: “It was a good performance. We needed it after the last few weeks.

“We came out and fixed a lot of things in training so it was real pleasing to do that tonight.

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“We knew this was an important game in where we want to be this season – and Sneydy has the magic touch.”

Hull KR coach James Webster added: “Full credit to Hull, I thought they played very well. They are a powerful side.

“We needed to take our chances – we had two in the first half – but we weren’t able to come up with them.

“We will dust ourselves down and come again against Leeds next week.”