HULL FC CHALLENGED TO SHOW 'PROGRESSION' AS LEEDS RHINOS TIPPED FOR VICTORY

Hull FC host Leeds Rhinos at the MKM Stadium this Sunday afternoon in the second game of Simon Grix's run as interim head coach. Here, our reporters give their predictions ahead of the game.

James Smailes - Head of SportIt says a lot about the position Hull FC find themselves in that they’ll still start as large underdogs against a Leeds Rhinos team who themselves are under pressure. Rohan Smith may have guided his team to within sight of a play-off place as we approach a third of the season gone but that’s not good enough for Leeds and neither have been the indifferent performances. Smith is under increased pressure with plenty of talk he could follow Tony as the next coach to be sacked. Make no mistake Leeds need to win this game.

For Hull, while remembering the winning feeling would be nice, some signs of progression and reasons for optimism would suffice right now. Simon Grix has a thankless task on his hands but it’s been a positive week with Tom Briscoe and Gareth Ellis back at the club, and from smaller sparks a fire has previously been lit. I expect FC to be better. I also expect FC to still lose. Prediction: Leeds by 8 points.

Click here - Get the latest news on our Rugby League Live WhatsApp channel

Dan Tomlinson - Hull Daily Mail

Well, Adam Pearson said they would be changes, and here we are after another crazy week in the recent history of Hull FC. Those changes have seen Tom Briscoe signed on an 18-month contract, with Darnell McIntosh going the other way in a deal with Leigh Leopards that also sees Ed Chamberlain join the club on loan. Yusuf Aydin is also another body brought in from Hull KR, with Gareth Ellis also re-joining the club. He will help Simon Grix in the performance department this year before moving to a new role next season.

As for the game, it's not naïve to expect some improvement in Hull's display after a long week on the training ground, and another building block as they base their game on effort, grit, and determination. That's got to be the bare minimum now, and if those home fans see it in abundance on Sunday, they'll back this side to the hilt. Make no mistake about that.

There's the inspiration for Hull; just give it absolutely everything while sticking to the plan instructed by Grix. Do that, and they can at least take some pride out of their performance, and as spoken about by numerous accounts this week, it's the performance that matters if Hull are going to get themselves out of their current situation.

Results will come off the back of that, with the likes of Jack Walker, Jack Brown, Liam Tindall, and Ligi Sao all in contention to play alongside some of the club's brightest young talents. Jake Trueman is also targeting a return in some capacity next week, with Hull looking for every ounce of positive energy they can get. Will it be enough to defeat an inconsistent Leeds Rhinos team? We wait and see, but at the least, we all need something to get behind here. Over to you, lads. Prediction: Leeds by 12 points

Bookies saySuper League title sponsor Betfred have Leeds as 1/8 favourites to defeat Hull FC, who are priced at 11/2 for the win. The draw is 22/1.

Read more: Joe Cator recalls early Tom Briscoe memory and opens up on current Hull FC situation

2024-04-27T09:23:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd