WATCH - St Helens v Hull FC: ‘We’re getting there,’ says Jake Connor ahead of showdown

IT is always dangerous to expect too much from any Easter Monday game given players’ obvious fatigue factor after battling out on Good Friday as well.

However, if you can leave all of that aside momentarily, and just take a cursory glance, Hull FC’s trip to leaders St Helens this afternoon certainly does have all the makings of arguably the Super League tie of the day.

For starters, improving Hull are utterly buoyant after that emphatic and record-breaking 56-12 derby win over Hull KR at the start of the weekend which leaves them now seeking a fourth straight victory.

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But Saints look imperious so far, Friday’s 36-10 win at derby rivals Wigan Warriors proving a 10th victory from their 11 outings.

Key man: Albert Kelly.Key man: Albert Kelly.
Key man: Albert Kelly.

Hull stand-off Jake Connor, who ran that show against Rovers, is never short of confidence and he was quick to highlight the odd game out in that run.

“It is always tough going to Saints but they’re in the same position as us,” he said.

“We’ll do everything right this weekend – recovery is the key – and we’ll get ready for Monday.

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“It will be tough. But Catalans overturned them so I’m sure we can.”

Catalans did, indeed, beat Saints, and remain the only team to do so this season, when inflicting an 18-10 defeat in the rain at Stade Gilbert Brutus two weeks ago.

Hull went to Perpignan themselves just recently and won so, by that thinking, there should be no reason why they cannot overcome Saints either.

But it is an inner belief – not such schoolboy calculations – that is driving Lee Radford’s side, whose current run started with victory at Salford before a ‘golden point’ success in France and then that delirious success over KR.

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“I sit here and am always talking about consistency,” said England international Connor.

“But it really does feel like we’re getting there now.

“It helps getting people back on the field. It’s just coming together nicely. We’re enjoying it.

“At the start of the season, we did have a bad patch and people are saying we’ve had a bad season.

“But we’re still sat here in the top four so, to me, we’re only just getting going.”

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You can see his point; any side that has Albert Kelly, Joe Westerman and Sika Manu on its bench – as Hull did in the nine-try romp against Rovers – is in a position of strength.

Moreover, Radford is able to rotate his squad today and still bring in real quality with the likes of Dean Hadley, fit-again prop Chris Green and Fijian winger Ratu Naulago looking to make an impact.

Hooker Danny Houghton is rested so youngster Jez Litten should get an extended run while in-form centre Josh Griffin and, as expected, the veteran Gareth Ellis are also left out.

It will be interesting to see, in the continued absence of Jamie Shaul, if Hull start with Kelly at full-back.

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The Australian stand-off – on the bench in the last two games with Connor preferred at six – had such a blistering impact there against Rovers and it proved an ideal way of getting both of them and scrum-half Marc Sneyd on the pitch at the same time.

His running quality further out wide and ability to beat defenders gave Hull an added strike threat.

Connor said: “Alby’s pretty mad; I don’t think he’s got a care for his body. He’ll just run at whoever is in front of him and he is one of the strongest guys I’ve ever played with. You saw that with the last try where he just shoved two people off. You know he’s going to come on and give it all.

“We’re pretty similar players but I got the nod ahead of him and he came on and his attitude has been spot on all week. He deserves the limelight.”

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Connor, who has spent most of the last two seasons at centre, is relishing the competition and it seems to be bringing the best out of both players.

He said: “Thankfully, I can play a number of positions if I have to.

“He’s an out-and-out six. But we moved around in the second half; I attacked at six, he attacked at full-back, and he defended at six and I defended at full-back.

“It all came together really well. It was the best we’ve played this year. It was an awesome feeling to do it in the derby. From the first shift we opened them right up.”