Rugby League: Super League champions St Helens stunned as Tony Smith hails 'determined' Hull FC
- Planet Sport writer
- 23 June 2023
Tony Smith believes his Hull FC side are heading in the right direction after watching a six-try demolition of champions St Helens at the MKM Stadium.
Tony Smith believes his Hull FC side are heading in the right direction after watching a six-try demolition of champions St Helens at the MKM Stadium.
Hull's 34-6 win, which was inspired by a 14-point haul from the returning Jake Clifford, came just five days after a Challenge Cup defeat to the same side and sets the Black and Whites up for an unlikely play-of push.
The veteran Australian coach has seen enough not to buy into the hype but acknowledged his side have every chance in a Betfred Super League campaign that is becoming increasingly wide open.
"I think when we're all on the same page and getting more consistent we can compete with the top teams," said Smith.
"I don't think the difference between the top teams and the bottom teams is so drastically different - everybody can challenge each other in this competition."
Hull's revival after a desperate start to the campaign continued with a dominant display against the out-of-sorts Saints, Clifford's seventh-minute opener setting the tone as they capitalised on the visitors' errors to streak into a 22-0 half-time lead.
"We've progressed," acknowledged Smith. "I think we're more on the same page with our systems. It's a process but we seem to be getting more rewards for our hard work.
"It's a nice way to bounce back. It's never nice when someone comes on your patch and beats you twice in a row. We were hoping not to let that happen and we were full of energy and determination."
Saints boss Paul Wellens issued a damning verdict on his side's performance and suggested that complacency might have been a factor as their run of six straight wins was brought to a crashing end.
Their response was all the more unexpected given recent wins over Huddersfield and Wigan that had suggested their early-season issues were well and truly over.
"We are hugely disappointed to put in a performance like that, we came here full of confidence off the back of a good win at the weekend, but we were just not close enough to where we needed to be," said Wellens.
"Part of the problem was we got a little bit complacent. Almost from the start you could see they (Hull) were hungrier and more enthusiastic and we were out-worked and out-enthused.
"It felt like things were gradually getting worse and worse. Effectively tonight we've allowed Jake Clifford to rule the roost, in terms of running around the field and doing exactly what he wanted.
"We showed some response after half-time but we weren't at the level we needed to be. It's a tough learn for us tonight and we've got to take it on the chin and come back stronger."
Wellens went on to question his own judgement in starting with James Roby on the bench before the 37-year-old made an evident impact when he was introduced in a vain bid to haul back a 22-point half-time deficit.
"Maybe it's one that I've got wrong tonight," added Wellens. "We ask a lot of James Roby and what we have got to do as a team is learn how to play without him - because we are going to be without him at some point."
