Wakefield Trinity v Hull FC: Hull coach Lee Radford is eager to bury the painful memories of drubbing

THIS WEEKEND’S game at Wakefield Trinity is a chance for Hull to lay the ghost of one of their worst humiliations.
Lee RadfordLee Radford
Lee Radford

Hull’s previous visit to Belle Vue, in July last year, ended in a disastrous 72-10 defeat which derailed their entire season.

Coach Lee Radford admitted he is hoping to sleep better tomorrow night. He said: “It is an opportunity for us to put the demons from last time there to bed.

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“It brings back awful memories. That was the start of a torrid time in my coaching career, a 13-game losing streak.”

Towards the end of this season Wakefield are the team falling on hard times and will go into the game on a run of nine losses from their last 10 league fixtures which has left them in serious relegation danger.

Radford, though, warned: “Having watched them last week, against St Helens, they probably could have got more out of that game, the attitude and energy they played with. I watched them against Wigan the game before and thought they were way off the standards they have set for themselves over the last couple of years.

“But they fired up last week and I am expecting the same, with them being at home.

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“Also, nobody wants to lose their jobs and that is ultimately what will happen when a team gets relegated.

People will be made unemployed and for that reason they show more desperation than fixtures in rounds one, two or three.”

Wakefield will have inside information after Hull prop Chris Green, who played in last week’s loss against Wigan, joined them on loan until the end of the season.

Hull will not allow Green to play against them today, but Radford said: “He knocked on my door a fortnight ago and said he needs to secure his future.

“Obviously that wasn’t with us.

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“I needed him for the Wigan game so it wasn’t right at the time, but as soon as Wakefield made that approach he went with our blessing.

“Obviously when someone knocks on your door and says ‘can I go?’ I don’t fight too hard to keep him. He needs to go and get some game time elsewhere and put himself in the shop window.

“Wakefield is a great opportunity for that.”