Hull FC arrive at critical point with decisive action needed

It’s easy to get carried away after any derby defeat and while Hull FC’s latest loss to Hull KR was far from disastrous, it has landed them in a position where action is needed.

They may feel the final scoreline was harsh and to their credit, they stuck the Robins for long periods. There is little doubting their spirit and resolve.

But quality? Sadly, that is lacking. Quite frankly, the Black and Whites have too many players; and good ones at that, out injured. Already without Will Pryce for the year, still unable to call upon Herman Ese’ese, a long way off seeing Jed Cartwright back and then Harvey Barron and Yusuf Aydin also injured, this week saw them lose Jake Arthur to a calf issue and Brad Fash to concussion protocols. In the derby, John Asiata suffered another hamstring injury, Joe Batchelor also suffered a fresh injury, and Arthur Romano has an ankle issue. Of course, Liam Knight unexpectedly departed the club after just a few rounds.

It’s safe to say if everyone was fit, at least eight of those players are nailed on to be in Hull FC’s strongest 17. Any side would struggle to cope with that.

Hull want this season to be a big one. It still can be. But they can’t play a waiting game on the recruitment front now. They need to act, and fast. They have been patient and bided their time but such is the severity of their absentee list now, they quite simply must make some moves.

You have to be brutally honest about the situation, and it’s that history says injuries will continue to occur. The Black and Whites have been stifled by injuries more than most for years now. That’s a conversation for a different day but there has to be an acceptance that it’s unlikely to magically fix itself.

Ideally, they need to inject some pace into their backline and some strength in the middle. They are down to the bare bones in the pack and that is probably where they need to address things first. But Pryce’s absence does mean they badly lack speed and, quite simply, any threat. No team has scored fewer tries than Hull FC this season.

With a week off due to being out of the Challenge Cup, the Black and Whites can dust themselves off and look after their players. But they need to bring some new ones in too.