Hull FC v Wakefield Trinity: Lee Radford looking for swift response

THE THIRD game – the one after Easter’s double-header – is often where tiring sides really slow up yet Hull FC head coach Lee Radford concedes his team desperately need alacrity tomorrow.
Gareth Ellis.Gareth Ellis.
Gareth Ellis.

They host Wakefield Trinity in urgent need of a high-powered performance after Easter Monday’s 62-16 debacle at St Helens.

That result means Good Friday’s glorious record-breaking 56-12 derby defeat of Hull KR at KCOM Stadium already seems like an eternity ago.

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What is clear is that Radford’s side need some consistency if they are going to challenge seriously the likes of Saints and Warrington Wolves at the top.

“We really need a response particularly from our middles,” he said.

“Saints did a really good job on us with their physicality and now we’re coming up against possibly the biggest pack of them all in Wakefield with Dave Fifita, Pauli Pauli and people like that.

“We know what they can do and they’ll challenge our middles, but we’ll have some people back and we need to see that response.”

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The return of veteran Gareth Ellis – a week shy of his 38th birthday – will certainly help do that after he was rested at Saints.

“He stiffens our middle up, without doubt,” said Radford.

“But at the same time people have to aim up and beat them (Wakefield) out of the blocks.We’ve already played them once this year and we have to make sure the crowd don’t turn on us.

“Chezzy (Trinity coach Chris Chester) always talks about the crowd turning on us if they get ahead on the scoreboard in the first 10 to 15 minutes so getting off to a good start is important.

“But putting on a performance worthy of the two points is key.

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“We’ve played everyone now and we’re in joint third, but fifth because of our points difference. With Wakefield being one of those around us we need to get this done.”

Wakefield, who sit third after beating Leeds Rhinos on Monday, have won each of their last three meetings with Hull, including a 32-12 success at the KCOM in March that Chester rated as the best win of his reign at the club.

Radford has made five changes to Hull FC’s squad, with captain Danny Houghton, Josh Griffin, Mickey Paea, Gareth Ellis and Danny Washbrook all featuring. Mark Minichiello is out after suffering a knock, with other absentees including Jamie Shaul, Josh Bowden and Jordan Lane.