Strength in depth and enthusiasm key to Hull FC’s ability to make amends in Super League

One of the most intriguing storylines ahead of Super League’s return after its five-month hiatus is how the Black and Whites will respond to life not only post-Covid but post-Lee Radford.

Their charismatic head coach, who led the club to successive Wembley victories in 2016 and 2017, was sacked after an appalling 38-4 home defeat to Warrington Wolves in their last outing before lockdown.

Clearly, the squad, which was significantly augmented by a number of big-name signings in the off-season, has since had plenty of time to mull over that dismal showing.

Having matured into one of Super League’s most accomplished half-backs since Radford bought him from Salford Red Devils at the end of 2014, Sneyd accepts the East Yorkshire club have to make amends with assistant Andy Last now in charge as the caretaker coach.

“It is the full start of a new chapter for us,” he told The Yorkshire Post, ahead of their first outing against Salford on Sunday week. “We’re coming in with a change of coach and there’ll be a couple of little tweaks.

“It’s not an ideal way to be going in – there’s only a few weeks’ preparation – but it’s no excuse. We’ll be coming in looking to push up.

“Anybody asked about what happened with Rads has held themself a bit to blame. And obviously it was very unfortunate.

“But I think everybody had an off-day at the same time in that Warrington game. It was awful to play in and I’m guessing awful to watch. It wasn’t a good game at all.

“But, as has been said, on paper we have a very, very strong team that should really be capable of winning things.

“That’s the way I see it and hopefully we keep bodies fit. We have a big squad and having good young lads in the team will help in this second bit of the season.

“A good, deep squad will help us massively, helping us rotate on a regular basis and rest players up so hopefully we’re a fresher team on the pitch each week.”

Clearly, there is an abundance of talent in the squad and it is often forgotten they won their first two games of the season before winning just once in their next five.

The opening day destruction of Leeds Rhinos hinted at a side capable of challenging for a first league title since 1983 and Last will be doing his utmost to recreate the power and verve of that performance on a more consistent basis.

For all their disruption, Hull realise they can still challenge for the top-four although, with a shortened campaign after the pandemic, there is little scope for further error.

Sneyd, 29, said: “We’ve now got 13 games to play in the regular season.

“If you get yourself off to a good start and on a roll, then it starts becoming a bit of a squad game when the matches start coming thick and fast.

“With the squad we’ve got, you’d like to think having the extra energy coming into games will make a big difference late on in matches.

“With the rule changes – no scrums and the six-again – the energy battle is going to be absolutely massive from now until the end of the season.

“I do feel like it might not be the slickest team that wins the competition this year but rather the fittest or most enthusiastic that shows up on a weekly basis.”

As for how long-serving Last might change Hull’s approach to maximise their potential, Sneyd believes the changes will be subtle but hopefully effective.

“When I say tweaks I do genuinely mean the smallest of margins,” he said.

“I’ll guess not many people will see that big a difference to the naked eye but, internally, little things will change.

“We’re putting quite a lot more emphasis on your individual performance; if everybody turns up and delivers individually then you are on to a winner.”

Who Last opts for as his half-backs is interesting, too, given Radford left the mercurial Australian Albert Kelly out early on in the campaign in favour of England international Jake Connor pairing with Sneyd but then switched in the weeks before his exit.

Kelly has since announced he will be heading home at the end of the season while Connor – who went back to centre – also has a point to prove after being left out of Shaun Wane’s England selection.

Working out a way to get the best out of both gifted talents will be central to Last’s plans of making a success of the job – and enhancing his own prospects of getting the head coach role on a permanent basis.

Sneyd said: “It’s quite unusual to have two players who can play the game the way they play the game – genuine two world-class sixes – at training every day and the competition is outstanding.

“It’s not just between those two; obviously it’s on me as well as both Alby and Jake could jump in at seven if it was needed.

“It’s between the three of us and it’s always good to have competition as you are not guaranteed to be playing every week.”

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