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Thursday night sees an intriguing fixture take place, as Hull FC look to continue their recent revival against a Wakefield side who still remain pointless after eleven matches.
Despite a battling first half display which saw Trinity hold their own away at leaders Warrington, Kevin Proctor’s red card for a high tackle on Matty Ashton was ultimately the turning point as the Wolves turned the screw in the second 40 to win comfortably 32-18.
Regardless of Wakefield’s current predicament which sees them rooted to the bottom of Super League , head coach Mark Applegarth is still hopeful that his side can turn the corner and pick up their first two points of the campaign.
“It’s not where we want to be but if I felt like we were cutting corners, I wouldn’t feel so good about it but we’re not.”
“So I’ve been working on them being honest while staying together. You can be together as long as you’re honest with each other and there’s no lingering undertone.
In the lead-up to this West vs East Yorkshire clash, Luke Gale has been at the forefront of some media attention, having not made his debut for Trinity as of yet, he makes the squad against a Hull side which he was captain of in a difficult season for the Black and Whites. Applegarth is keen to emphasise that his selection of Gale was down to the importance of the game, rather than sentiment.
“It’d have a bit of extra meaning. But it’s a bigger game than just Luke Gale and Hull. It’s about the team and he’d be the first one to say it’s team-first mentality. We will do what’s right for our team and not just do the romance story that everyone would say about Luke Gale playing against his old club.”
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Wakefield will be without Liam Kay , who failed a head injury assessment in last week’s defeat, but former Hull winger Tom Lineham returns to the fold.
As for Hull FC, they backed up their first win in eight against Huddersfield with another victory last time out against Wigan at the MKM Stadium. In these two victories, Tony Smith’s side look a completely different proposition after navigating themselves through both games with spirit and endeavour.
Whilst the Black and Whites look to have turned a corner in their season, Smith says they cannot underestimate their struggling opponents.
“It’s not just about the spectacular stuff. It’s about the hard work that goes into it and the dedication on the field and the application of it for the badge and each other within the team.
“Whether we’re favourites or underdogs, we’ve still got to go out and play bloody hard,” Smith added. “Otherwise, our opponents will beat us. That’s Super League. I’m pleased that we’ve got those two victories, it’s given everyone a reward for a lot of hard work, but it starts again now.
Hull FC name just one change to their win against Wigan, as Jack Brown replaces Harvey Barron.
This fixture has often been closely called in recent times, and its Wakefield who have had the slight edge in these games, winning three out of the last five encounters against Hull. Their supporters will be hoping that this luck continues, or Hull could make it a ‘Dirty Dozen’ for them with their third consecutive victory.
