Minichiello happy to play attacking game

Hull got back to 8-6 with Danny Washbrook’s try early in the second period amid the rain at John Smith’s Stadium on Thursday.

But Australian second-row Minichiello then tried unleashing his centre Carlos Tuimavave from inside his own 20 in the next set only to see the ball go to ground.

Huddersfield winger Jermaine McGillvary scored soon after, starting a crucial spell of three tries in seven minutes for the joint-bottom hosts, who went on to win 22-12.

Hull head coach Lee Radford thought it was a rash play to make but Minichiello, 34, insisted: “It was the right thing to do at the time. I thought the Huddersfield player touched it slightly and it went behind Carlos.

“If it goes to hand he’s running down the sideline. That’s the type of football we play; we chance our arm and if comes off it does, if not, it doesn’t.”

But the ex-Gold Coast Titans forward did accept Huddersfield gave them a lesson on how to play wet-weather football.

“We started very flat,” he said. “We had no energy in the first half. We got that try in the second half to get back into it and tried to throw the ball around but they controlled it very well after that and thoroughly deserved their win.”

It was the first time Hull had lost since going down at Leeds Rhinos in mid-April – the side they host again on Friday.

Minichiello, one of the East Yorkshire club’s leading players this term, maintains their confidence has not been knocked.

“Obviously, you can’t go unbeaten all year so as long as we take the positives out of this, look forward and don’t let it happen back to back, it might be a good thing,” he said. “The last time we lost we went on another good run and I’m expecting a positive re-action.”