No play-off talk at Hull FC as Brett Hodgson's team aim to arrest worrying slide

The Black and Whites were well placed heading into the break for the Challenge Cup final in May but they have won only two of their 10 games since, leaving Hodgson's men ninth in the table.

Hull were hammered 60-6 by St Helens in their last outing at the MKM Stadium to make it 168 points conceded in three home matches.

Hodgson has called on the Airlie Birds to come together when the going gets tough tomorrow night against a Wakefield Trinity outfit fresh from a big win over Wigan Warriors.

"The reality is we're definitely conceding too many points when it gets hard," said Hodgson, who confirmed Jack Walker and Darnell McIntosh will miss the final four games through injury.

"We need to understand that during those times in the game where momentum is against us we need to hang in there for each other and work hard for that not to happen. We need to be better, there's no doubt about that.

"It's tough at the moment but we need to keep fighting and understand that the only way we turn this around is through our own actions on the field. That's what the players have been challenged to do this week.

"It's an important game for us and we need to be ready for it. We haven't talked about the play-offs this week because there's no reason to.

"We've got to put in a performance against a team that's coming off the back of a really good win. We just have to make sure that we're good enough to get the win this week."

There are shades of last season when Hull lost nine of their final 10 games in a late-season collapse.

But Hodgson has faith that the players at his disposal can reverse the club's fortunes.

"I have seen enough - absolutely I have," he added.

"I'm not just saying that to quieten the noise. I understand that we are under pressure as a club and as a group of players and staff.

"They're working hard and they're saying the right things - it's just about putting it out on the field and not letting performance anxiety dictate how we finish those scenarios.

"I think that's part of it - once it gets tough there may be some unconscious thought processes where it's 'here we go again', but it has to change. We're putting in methods of making sure we're doing that on the field.

"I'm excited about tomorrow night - I genuinely am. I know we're not in a good run of form but I'm hopeful we'll be able to turn it around."