Marc Sneyd adamant he will be fit for Hull FC’s Challenge Cup semi-final

GIVEN his love affair with Wembley, it is no surprise Marc Sneyd fully expects to be ready to potentially guide Hull FC to yet another Coral Challenge Cup final.
Hull's Marc Sneyd. Picture Tony Johnson.Hull's Marc Sneyd. Picture Tony Johnson.
Hull's Marc Sneyd. Picture Tony Johnson.
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Admittedly, the prolific scrum-half looked in a bad state departing Emerald Headingley on Sunday evening.

Nursing not just a back injury but a shoulder issue, too, having kicked the winning points in their 26-24 success over Leeds Rhinos, Sneyd was clearly in some pain.

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The Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington Wolves is in Bolton on Saturday.

“I’m okay, honest, it’ll be fine,” insisted the 28-year-old, the only player to ever win back-to-back Lance Todd Trophies after helping Hull to Wembley wins in 2016 and 2017.

Yes, he would be okay to get through an interview but 80 minutes of another intense battle at the weekend?

Black and Whites coach Lee Radford insisted yesterday that he would, adding in as sympathetically as ever that Sneyd is a “serial limper” who’s getting a “bit old.”

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You sense he will be out there, come what may but what would it mean to the player to reach another Wembley final? “It would be massive,” conceded Sneyd, who passed 1,500 career points against Leeds.

“Obviously the two biggest memories I’ve got in my career so far are those two Wembley trips with Hull.

“The people who have been there with Hull know how important it is to the fans, the players individually and to the club.

“We’ll be doing everything we can in the 80 minutes ahead – and hopefully we’ll be on a coach back down to Wembley in a few weeks again.”

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To beat Warrington – who they defeated in 2016 at Wembley –Sneyd’s kicking and control will be vital.

Radford confirmed stand-off Albert Kelly is fit to resume after missing two games with a calf strain.

However, as much as the Australian’s dazzle is important against second-placed Wolves, Sneyd’s calming presence is arguably more crucial.

Yet again he held his nerve to slot the match-winning touchline conversion against Leeds, right in front of the Rhinos’ vociferous South Stand, with its ceaseless, banging drum almost in his ear.

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“I enjoy all that,” said Sneyd, when asked about the vitriol he was receiving from the Leeds fans in an unsuccessful bid to put him off his target.

“I just have it in the back of my head that if it goes over I can turn around and give it back. It’s always enjoyable to be able to give it back to that South Stand.

“Don’t get me wrong… they do give it to you… but they should be able to take it so it’s all part and parcel of the game.”

The hard-earned victory should leave them in good stead for the challenges posed by Warrington with Sneyd admitting the atmosphere gave it a “big-game feel”.

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Sneyd, who missed yesterday’s Challenge Cup press conference in Bolton due to the potential impact of a five-hour round trip on those injuries, admitted: “I thought it was a really good game.

“It was high intensity and our fans certainly enjoyed it.

“It’s great. I genuinely enjoy playing at Leeds. I really do. The atmosphere is always outstanding.”

That Hull were 20-6 up only to slip and fall 24-20 behind before rescuing matters at the death was alarming for some of their fans.

But Sneyd maintained: “We didn’t take it for granted.

“We thought it might happen as the way we’ve gone about things this year we’ve had to play games for 80 minutes regardless of how far in front we’ve got.

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“Even if you look back to the Salford game where we were in front by a lot and the London game we were in front by a lot,” he said.

“For some reason, later on in games, teams are coming at us and giving us a real scare,” said Sneyd.

“We obviously need to be better with that but at the end of the day we’ve won again.

“Other results have gone our way as well with Castleford beating Warrington so we’re still in that mix (for second spot) and we can look forward to that Challenge Cup now.”

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Third-placed Hull, indeed, have closed the gap to Warrington to just two points so soon they might be able to start thinking about Old Trafford as well as Wembley.

Castleford Tigers hooker Paul McShane has received a one-game ban for use of the knees in their win over Warrington and will miss the match against Hull KR.