Fifth placed Leeds Rhinos travelled to Hull to take on sixth placed FC, with fourth place up for grabs for the winner.
This is one of Super League’s needle games, which many supporters look forward to from the start of the season, and it has often thrown up titanic battles where no quarter is asked or given. But, the Rhinos have won the last ten Super League meetings between the two sides.
FC made a number of changes to last weeks winning side with Mark Minichiello, Dean Hadley and Sika Manu all back in the side. Just the one change for Brian McDermott’s side, defeated at home against the Wigan Warriors last week, with Adam Cuthbertson in the starting line up as Singleton was omitted, with Brett Ferres getting a place on the bench.
Jake Connor broke the deadlock on twelve minutes, after extensive Hull pressure, when he took an Albert Kelly pass to bust through a gap, juggle the ball, and then slide over. Marc Sneyd was unable to kick the extras, missing well wide of the sticks.
Both sides had chances over the next twenty minutes but defences held firm until the thirty-third minute when Bureta Faraimo hit the ball at speed to step out of two attempted Leeds tackles and crash over. Sneyd was again wide with the boot, the FC kicker not finding his usuall form in the first half.
Mikolaz Oledzki lost the ball close to the Hull line three minutes before the break but the Rhinos finished the half pointless and trailing by eight to an FC side who deserved their lead.
Just minutes after the restart and Connor got his second of the night with an almost carbon copy of his first, again off a Kelly pass. Sneyd kicked his first conversion of the night for a 14-0 lead. Hull had starte dthe second half as they had ended the first, in control.
On fifty the Rhinos opened their account when the ball was given air in a right to left move and eventually ended up in the hands of Ryan Hall who stretched for the line to score. Referee Thaler checked with the video referee before pointing to the spot. Kallum Watkins converted brilliantly from the touchline for 6-14.
On fifty-nine Joel Moon weaved his way through the Hull defence off a Richie Myler pass and improved the angle giving Watkins a simple conversion to reduce the arrears to two points. The Rhinos were lauching their comeback and dominating the second half.
Three minutes later and a kick through from Myler caused havoc in the Hull defence. Matt Parcell collected the kick but lost the ball under as Josh Bowden tried to kick the ball from his grasp. The decision went to the video referee who awarded a penalty try. Watkins kicked the goal to give the Rhinos the lead.
It had been a twelve minute blitz from the visitors that had seen them score eighteen unanswered points.
On seventy Talanoa jumped higher than the Leeds defenders to take the ball and pass to Carlos Tuimavave in the Rhinos goal area where the FC substitute dropped to the ground to score and square things at 18-18. Sneyd slid his conversion in front of the uprights and it was all square with eight minutes remaining.
On seventy-five Sneyd kicked a drop goal from twenty-metres after his side created him the space for a leisurely effort. The Rhino had a chance to kick their own one-pointer on seventy-seven but elected to run the ball and kicked it dead.
The Rhinos threw everything they had at the last three minutes but the Hull defence held firm for the one point victory.
Hull FC broke their Rhinos hoodoo but not without delivering their A game in defence. They have lifted themselves up into fourth spot while the Rhinos drop to sixth. This is the second weekend running that the Rhinos have lost by a solitary point, this time after a great second half fightback.
FC: Shaul, Faraimo (T), Griffin, Talanoa, Kelly, Sneyd (G, DG), Taylor, Houghton, Hadley, Manu, Minichiello, Connor (2T), Bowden. Subs: Lane, Paea, Matongo, Tuimavave (T).
Rhinos: Golding, Briscoe, Watkins (3G), Handley, Hall (T), Moon (T), Myler, Cuthbertson, Parcell (Penalty T), Delaney, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Ward. Subs: Ferres, Smith, Oledzki, Mullally.
Referee: Ben Thaler.
Half-Time: 8-0.
Full-Time: 19-18.
Attendance: .
