Zak Hardaker ready to show derby means more to Hull FC in Good Friday clash

Hardaker's first taste of the cross-city rivalry ended in disappointment a fortnight ago when the Robins dumped Hull out of the Challenge Cup.

However, the Good Friday showdown offers the Black and Whites the chance to leapfrog their old foes at the top of Super League.

"The atmosphere two weeks ago was absolutely electric," said Hardaker.

"It's literally families split down the middle. It was great to experience it.

"We're second now and that puts us in great stead to top the table if we can get the win.

"Both sets of fans and players think their team can get the win. On the day, we'll see who it matters most to."

Hull have confounded expectations this season, surpassing their 2024 points tally inside the early rounds to hint at a sustained challenge.

John Cartwright's side are unbeaten in five Super League games since their only defeat against Wigan Warriors in round two, a run that has left them just one point behind KR in the table.

The Black and Whites have gone a long way towards silencing the pre-season sceptics – and those predictions will continue to fuel Hardaker's fire.

"I love it," said the former Leeds Rhinos and Castleford Tigers star. "I save all of the quotes.

"When (Sky Sports pundit) Jon Wilkin and that say we're going to finish here in the table, I save it on my phone just so I can rub it in his face when we don't.

"I hate losing and where we're at now as a club, I'm not happy to just go out there, get a near loss and say we played well. That's not good enough.

"We've put ourselves in a position where we're learning, playing well for each other and are really hungry.

"We've got a big game on Friday but the bigger picture is just improving week on week and seeing how far we can go into the season and where we can finish.

"Hopefully I can rub it more into some people's noses at the end of the year."