Picture perfect for Hull as they end Leeds losing run

The sight of them doing so on Saturday night after this ever-so rare success over Leeds Rhinos seemed a little indulgent.

Afterall, it was hardly Old Trafford or Wembley, merely a Super League regular round victory.

However, on closer inspection, it became clear the image being captured forever included a raft of mini-warriors – Kippax Under-5s to be precise. They are a Leeds junior team coached by Andy Lynch, the Hull FC captain who, in his spare time, has introduced the game to toddlers as young as three through his unique coaching clinics but has possibly made the biggest improvements of all to his new Super League employers.

Ambitious Hull believe they have the potential following the arrival of chairman Adam Pearson, new coach Peter Gentle and the likes of the former Bradford prop to start challenging champions Leeds for silverware and a first win against their nemesis in a dozen attempts could certainly be seen as a statement of that intent.

“Off the top of my head I can’t remember the last time when I played and we did beat them,” admitted Richard Whiting, the remarkably versatile and under-rated player who seemed to be involved in all Saturday’s key moments.

“It’s a good feeling and well overdue. The lads put a big shift in.

“We’d let ourselves down (losing) our last three games with our defence but knew if we could improve that then our attack takes care of itself. We hung our hat on our defence and it worked.”

Indeed, it did. As did the decision to utilise Whiting in his latest reincarnation as an unusual combination of stand-off/second-row.

“I think the only position I’ve not actually played (this season) at any point is hooker,” said the ex-Featherstone Rovers player, who, when reminded, did amusingly remember beating Leeds in the 2005 Challenge Cup final, the Black and Whites’ last trophy success.

“I’ve played full-back, wing, centre, half, loose forward, second-row and prop. I’ve just got hooker to tick off and I’ve done them all in one year. But Pete (Gentle) had done quite a bit of work watching Leeds and something he picked out was they might be vulnerable on the edge doubling up with runners. He used me more as a double second rower with Willie (Manu) and got us to put plays on together. It worked. It’s pretty much testament to Pete and the coaching staff.”

Their bulking dual-threat was too much for Leeds at times but Whiting offers so much more than a physical presence.

His innate footballing intuition saw him crucially intercept a Kevin Sinfield pass and set up position for a Danny Tickle penalty that nudged them 18-10 ahead in the 48th minute.

He climbed brilliantly to collect Brett Seymour’s hanging kick soon after only to be desperately denied by Brent Webb and Ben Jones-Bishop while he made numerous timely defensive interventions including forcing a drop out when Leeds were threatening to come back into it at 22-14.

After England wing Tom Briscoe scored his second – an individual 60m try which highlighted Leeds’s defensive frailties – to stave off that threat, it was Whiting who craftily swiped possession from Webb to set up position for Ben Crooks.

The young centre, son of legendary Lee and playing only his second Super League game, showed great finishing ability to round of his own wonderful performance and confirm Hull’s first win over Leeds in five years.

On-loan Wigan Warriors full-back Matthew Russell made an impressive debut in a side bolstered by the return from injury of five senior players while Will Sharp crossed and Tickle contributed 18 points courtesy of his opening try and seven goals.

They remain three points above Leeds in fifth, the same gap behind leaders Wigan but with a game in hand.

Meanwhile, the stymied visitors – who scored first-half tries through Ben Jones-Bishop and Carl Ablett before Ryan Hall got them closer – had grown increasingly frustrated by the erratic decision-making of fastidious referee James Child who delivered another annoying high penalty count.

Trailing 18-10 just before the hour, he also wrongly disallowed a Webb try for a Lee Smith forward pass which could so easily have changed the contest.

However, after seeing his side denied a fifth straight win, magnanimous Rhinos coach Brian McDermott said: “I thought it was a significant moment but not the reason we lost.

“I don’t think games are won or lost because of penalties (either).

“Some of the calls we have no control over. We know that. You have just got to get on with it and be able to defend penalties and errors. The simple answer is we missed too many tackles in this game.”

And so, by the time Webb’s inventive kick saw Danny McGuire score in the last seconds, the damage had been done.

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Hull FC: Russell; Sharp, Turner, Crooks, Briscoe; Whiting, Seymour; Moa, Houghton, Lynch, Manu, Tickle, Pitts. Substitutes: Aspinwall, O’Carroll, O’Meley, Ellis.

Leeds Rhinos: Webb; Jones-Bishop, Ablett, Hardaker, Hall; Sinfield, McGuire; Leuluai, Lunt, Peacock, Clarkson, Delaney, Jones-Buchanan. Substitutes: Moore, Griffin, Kirke, Smith.

Referee: J Child (Dewsbury).