Key word for us is 80, says Pryce after Hull’s implosion

LEON PRYCE admits he would forsake his latest milestone for a rare Hull FC win.
Hull FC's Leon PryceHull FC's Leon Pryce
Hull FC's Leon Pryce

The ex-Great Britain stand-off scored his first tries for the East Yorkshire club against Leeds Rhinos on Thursday night, the second of his brace taking him to 200 career touchdowns.

However, having seen that double establish a 12-0 interval lead, Pryce could only look on helplessly like the rest of his colleagues as they were destroyed by dominant Rhinos in the second period, eventually going down 43-12.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It means Lee Radford’s team have not won since the opening day at Huddersfield and, worryingly, have now lost three successive matches.

Pryce, who scored his first try with Bradford Bulls back in 1998, told The Yorkshire Post: “I’m really proud of that, but obviously I’d have traded those two tries in to get a victory and take a little bit of pressure off us.

“I’d have preferred to get them another time and get a win.

“There was encouraging signs and it’s not all doom and gloom, but that second half was not good enough.

“Between that Leeds team, I think they’ve won six Super League titles and a Challenge Cup so they know how to win games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Against them you can’t play well for 40 minutes, it’s got to be 80.”

Hull had plenty of disruption with players dropping out on the eve of the game injured and Liam Watts also pulling his hamstring during the warm-up.

Pryce, 33, admitted: “It is tough like that, but we can’t use that as an excuse.

“We’ve all got to take the blame individually and as a team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We didn’t perform nowhere near as good enough in that second half, did we?

“The key word for us all is 80. Eighty minutes and not a 40- or 41-minute performance. That’s myself included.”

Their next game is at Wigan Warriors on Friday.

Pryce joined Hull during the winter from Catalan Dragons, where he had scored 20 tries over the previous three years.

Ninety four came in Bradford colours between 1998 and 2005 before another 73 arrived with 
St Helens.

He scored five Great Britain tries, three for England and three more with Yorkshire.