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Welcome. This site is brought to you by by the (Fictional) Hull Daily Mail and the Hull Giants. All articles and content are authorised by the management of the Hull Giants, and all views expressed are those of Rob Gwatkin and/or Matt Danby. The authors take no responsibility for any damage to your brain or that of your children, or your children's children, or your children's children's children, or.............well, you get the point, don't you? Please take everything in the spirit it is intended...............Nasty, malicious, vindictive and very, very biased!!! The site was created by the genius Rob Gwatkin
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Ground: The New Boulevard Chairman: Liam Gwatkin (aged 7 weeks) Head Coach: Rob Gwatkin Deputy Coach: Matt Danby
Click on the link below to go to the story or scroll down to view all (newest at top) Final set to be a cracker 22-06-01 Gwatkin says no to Alfie resignation 04-06-01 York in with a chance? 28-05-01 Who let the dogs out? 24-05-01 Sex, lies, and a gallon of alcohol 17-05-01 Gwatty in slander scandal 16-05-01 Giants retract allegations while Brock and Gwatkin go on baby milk bender! 14-05-01 Matt Danby to invite Gary Glitter and Maurice Lyndsey for half time slug fest!! 11-05-01 New Chairman at the New Boulevard 11-05-01 Interview with a Danby 10-05-01 Gwatkin backs Danby in shock turnaround 09-05-01 Danby as guilty as hell 04-05-01 Danby in the s**t (again) 03-05-01 World War 3? or just those two at it again? 03-05-01
Final set to be a cracker Hull Giants' efforts to secure the Shaun Edwards Cup were handed a timely boost when powerful second rower Simon Haughton declared himself fit and available for selection. A delighted Matt Danby said, "Rob and I are very pleased that Simon has responded well enough to the intensive rehabilitation therapies he has been receiving. His return is an enormous boost for our pack, and for the team generally. Although we have won through to the final without him, we feel that Simon has that added skill and controlled aggression that we could well need against the Dragons this weekend." Commenting on his sides chances in the final coach Gwatkin remarked, "Any team that reaches the final usually deserves to be there. The Dragons have only lost one match all season, and that was against us. We know that they will be desperate for revenge, and everyone knows that a wounded Dragon is an extremely dangerous mythical creature." "They may well be without Sculthorpe and O'Connor but we have to concentrate on our players and the way they play, not on theirs. Many people who saw our semi-final performance will have realised that our squad is packed with players who scrap for all 50-50 balls; go that extra yard to make a vital tackle, and will rupture muscle and sinew just to support a break. We may have been involved in a huge scrap in the semi, but I expect this final game to be our toughest one of the season. I am confident that the players will do themselves and the club justice." "The game itself will be a memorable occasion for player and fan alike. I want our players to go and play their natural game. If they do this we're confident that it will be our name that's engraved on the trophy."
We can today exclusively reveal that Hull Giants' Head Coach Rob Gwatkin refused to accept club captain Allan Langer's resignation minutes after his side's awful defeat against the York Vikings. Langer offered his resignation to the Hull coach in the dressing room following their shock 16-4 loss against the side with no previous victories under their belt in the Shaun Edwards Cup. The Hull club captain had been handed the armband by Gwatkin in pre-season as a show of faith in the untried rookie. Following narrow losses in two friendly games, the Giants had stormed to impressive victories away at Widnes and had demolished Wigan at the New Boulevard under his guidance. However Langer was described as "inconsolable" by a club spokesperson after walking from the pitch at York. "Allan was extremely disappointed at the way in which Hull played against the Vikings, and in his own below par performance. He believed that the blame for the side's defeat fell solely at his own feet and that the players were not responding to his leadership." Assistant coach Matt Danby rubbished claims of a dressing room bust up during the after match inquest, "There is no truth in the rumour that several of our players were involved in verbal and physical disagreements following the York match. What I can say is that myself and Rob were flabbergasted at our sides inept display in attack yesterday, and we pulled no punches in relaying this to our lads. They showed very little attacking guile and we expect much more from all of our players in effort and endeavor than we saw out there on the pitch against York." "As club captain, Allan felt that he should shoulder the blame for the appalling display the players turned in. He felt that his inexperience was a stumbling block and confessed that he found himself wanting when the players were looking to him for guidance on the pitch. However myself and Rob both felt that this was a knee jerk reaction from Alfie and that he is making excellent progress as captain of this club. He has an excellent temperament and this combined with his obvious attacking flair make him an excellent choice as club captain. Rob refused to accept his resignation and I agreed with him." "I am personally downhearted that we shall not be able to go into the home game against the Dragons next week knowing that we have already qualified and that the result will have no bearing on our qualification. The players have brought this situation upon themselves, and Rob and I will be looking to see if they have the guts and determination to drag themselves out of it next weekend."
Hull Giants travel to York Vikings this weekend for a game crucial to their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Shaun Edwards Cup. Out of sorts York have lost all three round robin games in their group so far and have struggled badly both in defence and attack. On the other hand Hull have been impressive in the way they have recovered from two pre-season defeats to record back to back victories away at Widnes and at home against a good Wigan team. The result would seem to many as a forgone conclusion. The Giants have defended magnificently, letting in only 3 tries in the Cup. This Scrooge-like defence has laid the foundations for some excellent rugby. This was never better illustrated than in the recent Wigan game when Hull ran in six converted tries, and regularly ripped apart Wigan with outstanding attacking from all over the park. Hull coach Rob Gwatkin has been very impressed with the professionalism that his fledgling side have shown since suffering the disappointment of two defeats in friendly games, "Full credit to the lads for bouncing back in the style they have. I was a bit downhearted that such a promising side lost their first two matches together as a new squad, but I am very pleased with the effort that they have put into their training sessions since those losses." "We have slightly altered our style of play to suite the team's strengths and counteract our weaknesses, and I'm happy that we have taken that preparation out onto the pitch on a match day." Assistant coach Matt Danby was full of praise for his brother in law's coaching abilities, "Rob has excellent man management skills, whereas I'm more of a technical person. We appear to have now found a way to utilise both of our sets of coaching skills, and have a great deal of mutual admiration for each other. But that isn't to say that we don't get caught up in the occasional game of "one up manship" everynow and again - it helps to keep things from going stale and provides our players with a laugh." Danby is however cautious of a potential backlash from the Vikings this weekend. "No team in the EIRL will be happy at losing three games on the bounce, and I expect York to come out all guns blazing this weekend. We'll need to keep our discipline and silence the crowd during the first twenty minutes. Hopefully we can then exert a more positive influence on the match and come away with a victory. The Vikings' players have nothing to lose with qualification now impossible for them and many of them will be looking to capture first team places for the start of the league campaign."
COACHES CONFIDENT AHEAD OF CRUCIAL CUP GAME Hull Giants' coaching staff of Rob Gwatkin and Matt Danby are confident that their side can make it two from two in the Shaun Edwards Cup this weekend, despite the predictions of EIRL supremo, "Mystic" Kev Brock. Gwatkin and Danby were a little shocked to discover that Brock had tipped the Nomads to beat the Giants by 5 points, especially after the Giants had an extra week to recover from their close encounter with Widnes in the previous round. Gwatkin, "I'm frankly a little amazed that Mr. Brock has tipped the Nomads by 5, but it will only serve as an incentive to our players to prove to the rest of EIRL that the Giants will be a force in this season's competitions - be they knockout or league games." Assistant coach Danby expressed some relief however that Brock had made the Nomads his slight favourites, "Mr. Brock is entitled to his opinion and has declared Wigan as his tip for the game. We like the idea of being underdogs. We have home advantage and our players love the rousing atmosphere that their fervent supporters conjure up at the New Boulevard. I'm sure the Hull fans will be desperate to show Kev just exactly WHO let the dogs out." "We will not be taking the Nomads lightly. They've got more stars than Lisa Simpson's homework book, and if we take our eyes off them for a split second we could end up getting punished. The lads have been tearing strips off the tackling bags this week after Rob decided to paint Andy Farrell's face on them." "Rob and I were delighted with the defence against Widnes in the previous round - to go to the AutoQuest and only concede one try speaks volumes for the commitment the lads showed when they were under the cosh." "We have no injury worries and the form of some of our lads has pleased us immensely. Aaron Raper is playing out of his skin and we expect others to follow his lead." As a reward for their efforts in the last game, the Giants jetted over to Belfast for a little extra circuit training; Brannigans, O'Neil's, Dirty Nelly's and the Smiling Leprachaun!
The bitter feud between Hull Giants and Widnes Kings appears to have been brought to a satisfactory conclusion this morning, following the news that all parties were seen staggering from the "Foxy" nightclub in Manchester at 3am. An emergency "clear the air" meeting was called by EIRL President Kev Brock at short notice yesterday. Both parties were summoned before the head honcho to explain their outbursts following allegation and counter allegation. The Hull Daily Mail managed to put a glass to the wall and heard the following conversation: KB: Right you set of w*nkers I want this sorted out once and for all. I'm sick of your sniping and wittering bringing my competition in f*cking disrepute. What have you got to say for yourself Jones? JJ: It's these two f*cking pommie b*stards that started it all mate! MD Ah go f*ck yourself you m*therf*cking convict w*nker!! RG You know f*cking f*ck all about f*cking rugby, you tw*t KB F*ck off you two, I was talking to Jones! KB I'll not have my competition dragged down to the f*cking gutter level by you set of a*seholes. Either you bring a holt to this now once and for all or I'll f*cking suspend the f*cking lot of you indefinately - do you understand me you tw*ts? MD Like to see you f*cking try sunshine - my gerbil could do you over you soft shandy drinking Manc sh*te! RG Who died and left you in f*cking charge? MD F*ck off tw*t - your supposed to be on my side! RG You f*cking want some do you? KB I'll have the f*cking lot of you, right now! The Hull Daily Mail cannot reproduce the appaling language and antics that then went unseen, but definately heard. An hour or so later the four emerged from amidst the dust cloud - sporting a collection of bloody noses and black eyes to show for their endevours.> KB Right now that we've got that one sorted lets all go for a pint at a little exclusive club I know. They've got this bird there that's hornier than a field full of Rhino's on heat!! RG Not that interested in ornithology mate, but I'd love a drink and a lapdance! The Hull Daily Mail was prevented from attending the aforementioned establishment by a large monosyllabic gentleman with several tattoos on his face. However the four of them were collared at 3 am and agreed to give the following interview: KB Matey we've a fanTASTIC night - theez free ere are me bestest mates in the ol wuld. HDM And what about the clear the air talks Kev. Apparently they were a little fiery to say the least. KB We'z all gewn oops matey and we ad a ickle fighty ovrr sum stuff thawuz sed in a defima....defani...bad way. BUT izall ok now, ok? MD Jasey wasey iz me bud now! JJ Yeh (hic) and iluv zees two jusamuch RG We metalass called Foxie McFox JJ Wahey!! RG An shewuz a bee-u-tifull lay shewas. SHHHH! Dunt tell mewife, cuz she'll never le meave me bollxzs back if you teller! HDM So is it safe to assume that the war of words is now over between the Giants and the Kings?? MD Absopoisitv......absitopofitus....yes! KB These fineanupstandin genlmn have putside their diffnces n arnow the bezzamates. JJ We allgree tha boff temmz are ace! KB Look ican light meonfarts! The Hull Daily Mail left the four of them there trying to set fire to their own emmissions, and ran off to tell Mrs Gwatkin about Foxie McFox.!
Relegation bound Widnes Kings today demanded an apology from Hull maestro, Rob Gwatkin, over the wording used in the clubs press release on Monday. The word "struggling" was used by Gwatty and this seems to have infuriated the Kings staff at all levels. Gwatty has, in the last few minutes been in touch with the HDM and given us this
statement.
EIRL president, Kevin Brock and Giants supremo Liam Gwatkin have met over the weekend to discuss the East Yorkshire teams demand for an enquiry over refereeing standards. The outcome of the meeting is as yet unknown, however Brock and Gwatkin were both smiling as they left EIRL HQ and were later seen having a chat and sharing a bottle of SMA Gold at a local pub.
Following the announcement of Liam Craig Gwatkin as the new Chairman of the Hull Giants, assistant coach Matt Danby commented: "It is fantastic news for the Giants that young Gwatkin has been appointed as the new Chairmen of Hull. Liam brings to the club considerable experience in spitting his dummy out, and is an old hand at holding his breath until he gets what he wants. Rumours that he has been watching too many Bradford Bulls games are, as yet, unfounded." "Liam will be able to provide the club's marketeers with a keen insight into what Hull's young fans would like to see, both before the match and during the half time interval. We fully expect to be able to attract such top children's entertainers as Bob the Builder, The Tweenies and Gary Glitter. (Whisper, whisper, whisper) "What? When did this happen??" (Whisper, whisper) "Ahem - I have just been informed that the club will not be inviting Mr Glitter to the New Boulevard. However we will be looking to secure some top name entertainment." "In addition we will provide parents with changing and crèche facilities, and we will be doing some in depth research into what foods babies like to eat whilst watching the match." ("Most babies are usually breastfed Matt") "In that case get Maurice Lindsay down here sharpish, cos he's the biggest t*t going."
*New Chairman at the New Boulevard* Hull Giants announced this morning that a major shake up of the board of directors had taken place last night. In a move expected for some time, Shane Richardson stepped down as Chairman following his appointment as UN spokesman against swearing in public. 4 week old Liam Gwatkin, who became a major shareholder in the club last week, was appointed new chairman by the remaining board. In a statement issued by the club, Master Gwatkin said, "Gooooogaaa, brrrrrrrrrfp hhhhrhrhrhrhr!! Giants coaches, father, Rob, and uncle, Matt, said they welcomed the move and hoped that fresh direction would take the club to a higher level . Mr Gwatkin added, "I think this will open new avenues and give us greater flexibility as a team. Liam has been a lifelong fan of the club and wants to take an active role in the day to day running, as well as concentrating on the wider issues. Matt and I will welcome his input, and the added bonus is that if he gets too lippy, I'll just send him to bed with no supper!!"
The Hull Daily Mail have secured this exclusive and revealing interview with Hull Giants Assistant Coach Matt Danby. We asked him about his background, his thoughts on the Widnes game on Sunday and many other important issues: HDM: Matt tell us a little bit about how you became assistant to Rob at the Hull Giants. Your rise has been pretty swift and not without a certainamount of controversy! MD: I first met Rob about 5 years ago when he knocked up my sister. HDM: Sorry?? MD: My sister used to live in a first floor flat on the West side of the city and Rob lived below her. She used to refer to him as the nice guy downstairs who did a bit of DIY in her bedroom for her now and again. My mum might have bought that story, but I knew that the screwing he was doing didn't require a Phillips. HDM: So essentially Rob is family? MD: Yes, but not the kind you like to tell people about. He's more of a criminal cousin - you know, the type your Auntie Ethel would refer to as "the one from Alf's side of the family" at Christmas. HDM: So you're not really that close then?? MD: Can't afford to be mate - an antiperspirant hasn't yet been manufactured that could smother his flatulent buffalo-like aroma. Nah only kidding mate!!! Rob and I hit it off straight away and have been brothers ever since. His appointment as Head coach of Hull came as a bit of a shock to me actually. He'd only recently completed his coaching course and undertaken his first managerial position with the Wobblybottom Wildebeests in the National Conference Div XII western section, sub paragraph A. Apparently he entered a competition in a local monthly rugby mag to get the Hull job. Yes I remember it well. You had to complete the caption,"Stuart Cummings is a........." in not more than 20 words. Our Rob finished it with one word I believe. Mind you I did help him a bit. Rob was spreading himself a bit thin on the ground with the recent arrival of his son Liam Craig, and he asked me if I wouldn't mind chipping in to help him out. I had just taken my coaching course and was awaiting the results, so naturally I jumped at the chance to join him at the Giants. Hull were a huge club during their halcyon days of the eighties, but they'd recently fallen on hard times and desperately needed someone local to take responsibility for the club. We decided to head a consortium of local people and buy out David Tosspot who was the major shareholder of the club. He wasn't interested in the club or the fans, he was just after trying to make a quick profit. He knew nothing about the club, it's rich heritage and tradition, and certainly he knew nothing about rugby. He was a badminton boy as I recall. Anyway we decided to raise the funds by having a sponsored donner kebab eat-a-thon in the local town centre. What a night that was!! 25 pints and 106 donners each. My arse still hasn't recovered mate. It felt like I'd been rogered by a grizzly bear for about twelve days afterwards. But we managed to raise the 43 pounds and 12 pence needed to get rid of Tosspot, and the rest, as they say, is history. HDM: You mentioned your coaching course Matt, rumour has it that you never actually qualified. MD: That's just not true. The exam result was sent out on Valentine's day and unfortunately the postie collapsed trying to carry my post that day. It's all been cleared up now. HDM:So what is your rugby background then Matt? MD: I started playing when I was 8 years old. I earned representative honours at both city and county level at under 11, and under 13. I was part of the Hull under 11 team that appeared at the Wembley curtain raiser in 1983. I lost my enthusiasm a bit at the age of 14 and started concentrating on education until I got to University where I was tracked by the Sheffield Eagles and invited to go to the England Students training camp. Unfortunately I picked up an Achilles tendon injury, and as a goal kicker it was a pretty severe injury. I just sort of faded away after that. I played a couple of games for various different local amateur teams a few years later, but never truly got my pace or fitness back. HDM: (surreptitiously wiping a tear away): Tragic Matt, just tragic. And what about Rob? MD: He's got a ball somewhere in the loft. HDM:On to Sunday's cup game against Widnes at the Autoquest stadium. You lost a friendly there just a few days ago. Also you were fined for remarks you made about a referee in the aftermatch interview. Can you give us your side of the story? MD:The game was a friendly and we used it to try a number of attacking and defensive options. They didn't all pay off, but we learned a great deal from the game, and we hope to implement those findings in Sunday's tactics. I think the Kings will find that we're a much better outfit now than the one they beat pre-season. As for the aftermatch comments, I simply expressed an opinion that Mr Cummings is not, in my opinion, of the correct standard to be a referee in this competition. I do not believe that he is capable of controlling the play of the ball area, or of being able to multitask during the full 80 minutes. As a professional he should be monitored and punished if not found to be up to the required standard. If one of my players consistently fails to perform then I drop him. Players failing to perform cost this club valuable points and revenue. A bad official can do this as well, but unfortunately the club has no recourse in these matters. HDM: I also understand that you issued a challenge to Cummings to stand in the middle of the New Boulevard pitch and "find his arse with both his hands". Does this still apply? MD:Of course not. He'd probably forget to put his pants on or something, and I don't want to be plagued by images of his withered genitals and saggy arse blowing gently on the breeze. HDM: Indeed. MD: Let's just say that I hope Cummings doesn't not (sic) take control of many of our games this coming season. HDM:Hear, hear to that. FULL MATCH REPORT AVAILABLE ON MONDAY NIGHT
In a week marred by controversy, another log has been thrown on to the fire that is Super League. Following last weeks speculation of a rift in the Hull Giants training staff, head coach, Rob Gwatkin, has given an interview in which he fully vindicates his deputy's comments after last Tuesdays pre-season friendly at Widnes.
Mail:- Rob, there seemed to be a little tension in the air last week. What was going on? Gwatkin:- The truth is, following the recent birth of my son, Liam, things had got a little too much for me. The lack of sleep and pre-season pressure took it's toll. Things have settled down now. Matt and I have been friends as well as colleagues for a long time now, and it would take a lot more than that to damage our relationship. Mail:- You were quoted as saying that Matt shouldn't have commented as vehemently as he did about the referee, what is the current situation? Gwatkin:- Matt and I have discussed at length what took place last week, and after watching the match video several times, I fully support him in his remarks about the standard of refereeing, even though I can't condone the language used. I have today lodged a formal complaint with the president of the league, Mr Brock, and if I am not fully satisfied, I will be seeking legal advice. I have also asked for an official enquiry after remarks by Widnes's coach, Jason Jones, indicating that he had conversed at length with Stuart Cummins after the game. I have always had my suspicions, but I will say no more pending a reply from the league. Mail:- The team has looked impressive despite losing twice, how do you rate your chances? Gwatkin:- I would like to take this opportunity to express Matt and I's best wishes to all the teams in this years championship. There will be a lot of tough games over the coming months and at this stage I wouldn't like to put money on anyone. Hopefully the Giants will be in the top five and earn a play-off spot, but there's a long way to go.
League President, Kevin Brock was unavailable for comment earlier, however sources close within Super League HQ say he is stunned by this turn of events. You can be sure that the Hull Daily Mail and this reporter will be keeping a close eye on things over the coming weeks and will bring you the stories as they break. Keep checking the web site for further updates @ http://gwatkin.50megs.eirlnews
Sources close to the Hull Giants have earlier today indicated that all is not well at the New Boulevard. Reports from the ground suggest that a bitter feud may be erupting between brilliant coach, Rob Gwatkin, and his less than able assistant, Matt Danby. After Tuesdays awkward defeat against Widnes, Mr Gwatkin, a pillar of the community, was heard to say, "I believe we could have won quite easily today had Matt not made the mistake of relying on our fullback, Steve Prescott, to lead the attacking game." He continued, " No disrespect to Steve or any of the other players, and when all's said and done, this is the time to test our strengths and weaknesses, but let's hope that we can put up a better show against the Dragons on Saturday." It is believed the Gwatkin gave Danby the final say in Tuesday's squad in an effort to bolster the six foot two weaklings confidence after he failed to pass his intermediate coaching course in the closed season. This has been compounded by the news that Danby now faces a disciplinary hearing over his comments to the mail regarding Tuesdays match referee, Stuart Cummings. Readers of the mail will undoubtedly be aware of our continued campaign to rid super league of Mr Cummings after his atrocious performances whenever Hull take the field, however, we feel that Danby should have showed the restraint, tact and diplomacy expected of today's professional coaches, and has possibly shown that he is not yet mature enough to take his own command.
Giants vs. Dragons (SEC Final) Trojans vs. Giants (SEC Semi Final) Giants vs. Dragons (SEC Round 4) Vikings vs. Giants (SEC Round 3) Giants vs. Nomads (SEC Round 2) Kings vs. Giants (SEC Round 1)
Giants vs. Dragons (Freindly) Kings vs. Giants (Freindly)
HULL’S
HOPES SHATTERED AT THE THEATRE OF DREAMS WELSH
DRAGONS 14 HULL GIANTS 10 Hull
Giants’ players and fans suffered the heartbreak of a cup final defeat at the hands
of their arch rivals the Welsh Dragons at Old Trafford. In
an electric atmosphere Henry Paul’s wonderful form with the boot deserted him at the
cruelest time possible. Paul had almost single handedly assured the Giants’ passage
through to the final with tremendous back to back kicking displays against the Trojans in
the semi and, ironically, the Dragons in their must win group match. Both
sides scored two first half tries, but Iestyn Harris kept his nerve to slot over three
goals to Paul’s one. This proved to be the only difference between the two teams over
the eighty minutes. The
Giants got off to the worst possible start when Darren Fleary powered his way over inside
five minutes to take the Dragons six points ahead. They were however unfortunate not to
pull themselves level when Prescott was adjudged offside from Paul’s clever reversed
kick. Hull
had to see off some determined and forceful raids by the big Dragons’ pack before
they scored a wonderful try. The ball passed through six pairs off hands before Henry Paul
touched down under the posts and converted his own score Just
two minutes later though the Dragons restored their six point advantage with a score from
Lee Briers. Harris converted the try. Hull’s tackling was weak for this try and they
had trouble shackling the elusive stand off during the first half. Hull
kept the ball alive when they had it, but had trouble finding the killer touch inside the
danger zone. Their frustration was compounded when the Dragons raced back up the field and
were awarded a dubious penalty when Maloney was blamed for stripping the ball in a two man
tackle on Tony Martin. Harris
showed the Dragon’s respect for Hull when he elected to take the two points on offer
rather than run the ball. Hull
fans hopes were raised again five minutes before half time when Nathan McAvoy scored a
superb opportunist try. Receiving a pass from Gibson 20 metres out and centre of the park,
the big winger appeared to have plenty of defenders in front of him. Undaunted he swapped
passes with Langer and then chipped and re-gathered to outpace the cover for a fine score
in the corner. Paul was unable to convert from the touchline. The
second half was a tense affair with the Dragons having three claims for tries rebuffed by
the video ref. Hull piled on the pressure in return but were unable to find the key to
unlock the Dragons excellent defence. Paul unbelievably missed a penalty from in front of
the posts, and Hull’s chances off pulling off a great victory were looking slimmer by
the minute. Steele
Retchless hobbled from the field ten minutes from the end with a turned ankle and Hull
missed the second rower’s powerful defence, as time and time again they only just
managed to repel the Dragons’ attack. The
sands of time were slowly slipping away, and so it seemed were Hull’s chances of
lifting the trophy. With
only two minutes to go the Giants desperation forced them into Kamikaze attacking rugby
and when a penalty was awarded just inside the Dragons territory they refused to let the
ball die from the tap. The ball was thrown back three times in the tackle to keep it alive
and Prescott ghosted down the middle only to be pulled down by Broadbent 5 metres from the
line. With the Welsh defence struggling to get back on side the ball was swung back
infield from Dymock to Langer and the little scrum half burrowed for the line....... The
whole of Old Trafford held it’s breath as the Hull fans sensed a famous last minute
victory, whilst the Dragons supporters feared that their cup was lost. Langer used every
ounce of strength to stretch out his short arm for the line..... The
Hull fans erupted in a cacophony of noise as the ref blew a shrill blast on his whistle.
The elation turned to heartbreak as they realised that he’d blown for a knock on. The
scrum had no time to form as the hooter sounded and champagne and tears flowed in equal
volumes amongst the sixty thousand spectators. A
defiant coaching team of Gwatkin and Danby paid tribute to their battling runners up and
the Dragons’ players alike. “Both
teams have 17 heroes out on that pitch”, said Gwatkin as he watched the elated
Dragons perform a lap of honour. “No way did one team deserve to lose in a match as
magnificent as that one.” Danby
also fought back tears as he praised his side’s performance, “We knew that it
would be a tight game probably won by a slight margin. When Alfie went for the line in the
last 10 seconds I was out of my seat. I can’t believe we were that close to the
trophy. I’m immensely proud of everyone at this club and Rob must take huge raps for
the way he’s coached the team so far. We’ll win a trophy this year - I’m
sure of it. It’d be great to be back here at the end of the season to have our
revenge. The fans deserve it.”
GIANTS’ WOODEN HORSE SINKS TROJANS BOOTHSTOWN
TROJANS 20 HULL GIANTS 28 (AET) Attendance
15423 Hull
Giants won through to the inaugural SEC final after an epic semi final victory over
Boothstown Trojans, but only after 20 minutes extra time was played. With scores locked at
20-20 after full time, both sets of players were put through the torture of two extra
periods. The Giants clocked up a crucial 8 points in these extra periods to take their
place alongside the Welsh Dragons in a weeks time. Stand off Henry Paul was instrumental
in victory, kicking eight goals from nine attempts. The
match ebbed and flowed with both teams stringing together expansive play and explosive
defence. The efforts of both teams were such that their respective laps of honour took
nearly as long as the match! Hull
went into the match with the odds stacked against them; conceding home field advantage and
without two first choice players. Boothstown were fortunate enough to be able to replace
the injured Andy Coley with the similar Jerome Guisset, and Assistant Coach Matt Danby
revealed that he had been very concerned with his side’s injury problems, “I
honestly believed that this would be one match too far for us so soon into the season,
especially losing players of the class of Haughton and Cummins. We were forced to rely on
second string players to cover these two crucial losses, but they performed magnificently
and deserve all the credit in the world.” Hull
revealed their attacking intentions very early on when Retchless broke during their first
set of six and subsequently the Giants forced a goal line drop out. Damian Gibson then
scored three sets later to put Hull six nil up. Boothstown
replied with a penalty from Manihera, and then directly from the kick off Pryce raced half
the length of the field to score a great try. The conversion failed, but Manihera made
amends with another penalty ten minutes later. Hull
got the perfect start to the second half when Kendrick put Maloney over and Paul
converted. He then added another difficult penalty, following a high tackle on Prescott.
Daylight was now between the teams, but it lasted just five minutes before Leon Pryce
squeezed over in the corner. Fortunately for Hull the conversion was too wide out for
Manihera to convert and the gap was still a try. Both sides blew chances through a
combination of poor retention and excellent defence. The
Trojans were not to be denied though, and roared on by their home crowd they drew level
when Paul Broadbent swapped passes with Danny Orr to crash over with twenty minutes left.
Again the conversion failed. Paul
showed the correct technique two minutes later to punish the Trojans and edge Hull back in
front. The kicking masterclass continued five minutes later when he slotted over another
penalty. 20-16 to Hull with twelve minutes to play! Incredibly
Boothstown pulled back again when Danny Orr kicked through on the last and won the race
for the touchdown ahead of Prescott. Again Manihera’s form deserted him as he missed
another conversion. His loss of form was a God send to Hull. Had he knocked over any one
of the four misses then Hull would have been out. The
last ten minutes was a desperate affair, with both teams throwing everything at each other
in an attempt to secure the vital score. Amazingly in such a frantic ten minutes not one
single attempt at a drop goal was taken. Hull forced the Trojans to drop out following some excellent pressure from their forwards. The kick proved to be poor, reaching only the twenty. Hull made Boothstown pay in the best possible way when McAvoy rounded off a sweet backline movement. Paul broke Boothstown’s hearts with a tremendous touchline conversion to put Hull clear by a converted try. The
second period produced the most frantic ten minutes of Rugby League that this reporter has
ever had the privilege to witness. Boothstown
refused to throw in the towel, but Hull were just not willing to surrender the lead they
had fought so hard to get. Sheer bloody mindedness by Hull got them home in the end when
end to end play resulted in frustration finally getting the better of the Trojans. Guisset
was penalised for swinging at Vagana and Paul stepped up to kill the game stone dead with
two minutes left on the clock. The
final whistle came as sweet relief to the Hull players and fans alike. The players managed
to drag themselves over to their loyal supporters to join them in a spine tingling
rendition of “Old Faithful”. Hull
Coach Rob Gwatkin was numb with emotion after the match and could only repeat the word
“awesome” over and over again. We believe that he was referring to his side’s
performance, but he WAS holding a Big Mac at the time!! Matt
Danby was more coherent and described the match as “the greatest game he’d ever
witnessed.” “My
heart bleeds for the Trojans and their fans, but we did enough to deserve our place in the
final.”
DEAD
EYE HENRY KICKS THE DRAGONS IN THE BOYOS!! HULL GIANTS 23 WELSH DRAGONS 16 Attendance 11403 Hull Giants
stand off Henry Paul put the boot into the Dragons in this make or break SEC clash at the
New Boulevard on Sunday. Not
guaranteed a semi final berth, following last weeks shock defeat by the Vikings, the
Giants needed to win or avoid a heavy defeat to prevent either Widnes or Wigan taking
second place from them on points difference. Widnes and
Wigan fans needn’t have got their hopes raised, as Hull controlled the vast majority
of the match - leaving other results inconsequential to qualification for the semis. Both sides
went into the game missing crucial players through injury. The Dragons were missing classy
loose forward Paul Sculthorpe, whilst Hull’s speedy winger Francis Cummins was still
recovering from a broken arm sustained earlier in the campaign. Again Hull turned to
youngster Dwayne West to fill his boots. Once again West let no one down. Hull had a
perfect start after five minutes when a crunching tackle forced Lee Briers to spill the
ball in his own 20. Four tackles later Hull’s huge prop Joe Vagana broke through some
weak defence to pop a pass to fellow front rower O’Neill. Paul’s conversion
narrowly drifted wide, but Hull had a 4-0 lead. The
Giants’ forwards continued to make valuable inroads into the Welsh defence, but poor
ball retention prevented them from making use of their territorial advantage in the first
20 minutes. The Dragons
got back into the match on 18 minutes when Harris slotted home a difficult penalty goal,
awarded for dangerous play. After 25
minutes Hull has a let off when Harris lost the ball over the line in a last ditch tackle
from Prescott. The video ref confirmed that Harris had failed to ground the ball
correctly. Hull had no such luck when Tonie Carroll burst onto a long ball from Samuel to
touch down in the corner. Harris failed with the conversion, but Hull’s lead had been
overturned. Just before
half time the scores were left tied after Paul had slotted over the first of his five
goals following a bad tackle on Langer. Whatever
Hull’s management said at half time seemed to do the trick. They raced into a 20-6
lead after just 15 minutes of the second half. Steele
Retchless continued his excellent scoring run when he showed astounding pace to race 50
metres. Paul added a tough conversion from wide out. He then added another two points when
the Welsh were caught offside. Steve
Prescott then got in on the act, side stepping his way to the line for an excellent solo
effort. Again Paul converted and Hull were seemingly out of sight with a quarter of the
match still to play. The Dragons
repost was swift and decisive. Carroll again went over following a great run from
Stenhouse. Harris missed the conversion, but made amends ten minutes later when his clever
kick allowed Martin to touch down near the posts. This time he made no mistake with the
goal. Suddenly a
fourteen point lead had become just four. Hull somehow managed to steady the ship though
with Raper giving a calming influence from dummy half accompanied by some excellent
kicking. Paul nudged
Hull one converted try ahead with his fifth goal of the match seven minutes from time.
Then from the kick off Vagana made a strong break down the middle of the pitch to set up
good field position inside the Dragons’ 20. Two plays later Allan Langer calmly
dropped his first goal for Hull to seal victory for his team and send Hull’s massive
army of fans into delirium. Matt Danby
was gushing in his praise for his team’s performance. “The boys showed that they
are willing to fight tooth and nail for the club and no praise is too high for this
performance. Anybody who has seen this Welsh side in action this season knows all to well
what an excellent side they are. They were undefeated prior to this, but we have shown the
rest of the EIRL that Hull will be a team to be reckoned with this year. This victory is
dedicated to our magnificent fans, who roared us on to victory today.” Coach
Gwatkin revealed that he and Matt had employed some controversial training leading
up to this game, but refused to be drawn on the exact nature of the methods employed. “Let’s just say that the PC brigade would have had a field day if they had been at the New Boulevard this week with all the blow up sheep around the field!” he sniggered.
GIANTS
SUFFER MAJOR SETBACK YORK
VIKINGS 16 – HULL GIANTS
4 Hull Giants’ fans left York on Saturday with a
sense of disbelief that their high-flying team has suffered defeat to a weaker York
Vikings team in the SEC. Despite losing key player Keiron Cunningham to a
freak injury after just 3 minutes, the Vikings defence defied the Hull attack on numerous
occasions.
GIANTS
SEND NOMADS BACK HOME(!?) WITH TAILS BETWEEN THEIR LEGS HULL
GIANTS 36 - WIGAN NOMADS 12 Attendance: 8565 Hull
produced a gigantic performance against Wigan yesterday to make light of their pre-season
blues. A scintillating attacking display saw them run in six tries to take them upto
second place in the round robin stages of the Shaun Edwards Cup. Hull
Coach Rob Gwatkin had the players really hitting the straps in training leading up to
this game and it showed. Time and again the huge Wigan forwards where knocked back
more ferociously than an alcoholic’s shot glass. As a consequence, Hull’s danger
men were allowed to dictate the pace of the game - and boy what a pace it was! Roared
on by a partisan home crowd of over eight thousand, Hull hit top form early and carried it
on for the full eighty minutes. The players were greeted by the sight of the Hull fans
burning an effigy of EIRL President Kev Brock before the game. His comments pre-match
regarding the Nomads being his tip by five points do not appear to have sat well at the
New Boulevard! Kick
off was delayed for fifteen minutes following a small riot at the burger van by Wigan fans
when the manager announced that they had run out of pies. The
game could not have started better for Hull as Terry Newton knocked on in Wigans’
first set of six. Hull failed to capitalise on the spilled possession though as they chose
to go for the power play, but were held short by some great scrambling defence. The
Nomads’ resistance lasted only a further two minutes though as they capitulated in
spectacular fashion on Hull’s next raid. Simon Haughton picked up the ball from dummy
half and exploded through some weak tackling. He sprinted clear of the cover, and drawing
Fleming, sent out a gorgeous pass to McAvoy who raced around under the posts to touch
down. Henry Paul banged over an easy extra two. As
the Hull fans sensed a memorable performance, Alfie Langer urged the threepenny stand
choir to raise the roof and they duly responded with chants of “Andy Farrell’s
got no chin.” Sean
Long blew a gilt-edged chance after ten minutes, when he failed to hold a bullet pass from
his half back partner Martyn with the line at his mercy. Henry
Paul then bombed the chance to extend Hull’s lead when he inexplicably lost the ball
with only forty metres of open field in front of him. Hull continued to turn the screw and
forced Wigan to drop out when Pratt shuffled dead a clever kick from Langer with Prescott
bearing down on him. Minutes
later the same player kicked dead a miscued kick from Retchless after the big second rower
had gone on a storming run down the touchline. The sight of the second rower trying to
delicately chip the ball over Fleming’s head is one which will live long in the
memory of this reporter!! Retchless saw the funny side of it and shrugged his shoulders in
Gallic fashion at the bench. Retchless’
attempt at trying to oust Paul as first choice kicker turned into a gem for Hull though,
as Gibson sidestepped his way to the line following the dropout. Again Paul tagged on an
easy conversion. With Hull throwing the ball about with gay abandon, it seemed only a
matter of how many Wigan could restrict them to. Nathan McAvoy took possession of a peach of a cut-out pass from Langer to brush aside Brett Dallas and gallop eighty metres. He showed Retchless how to kick a ball properly as his weighted cross field kick bounced perfectly for the on-rushing Aussie to pounce and score his first try for the club. Paul this time made light work of a more difficult conversion. Hull
then took their foot off the gas before half time and allowed Wigan to demonstrate their
own attacking potential. A combination of great cover defence and some sloppy finishing
from Wigan kept the score at 18 - 0 at half time. Just
two minutes into the second half Wigan were thrown a lifeline when some slack tackling
allowed Pratt to race in from Dallas’ great break. Farrell added a difficult
conversion to bring them back within two converted tries. The
comeback was short-lived though as Retchless scored his second of the match following good
work from Raper and Maloney. Hull then rubbed salt in Wigan’s wounds when Dwayne West
scored on his debut after Raper’s clever slight of hand. The impeccable Paul added
both conversions to take the Giants to the thirty point mark. The icing on the cake came
after back to back sets for Hull inside the Nomad’s danger zone. Prescott’s
arcing run finished off some slick passing and Paul maintained his accuracy with the boot
to take Hull out to 36-6. Martyn’s
converted score five minutes before time was scant consolation to Wigan who looked the
beaten team they were. Coach
Gwatkin was gushing in his praise for his players, “I’m delighted with this
performance. The team building exercise in Ireland certainly seems to have paid off for
us. I couldn’t have hoped for a finer performance in front of a large home
crowd.” Gwatkin
refused to single any one player out for praise, “The whole seventeen deserve a big
rap for their efforts.” Assistant
Coach Danby was also impressed with his side’s victory. “We’ve worked hard
in training and built on the Widnes game with some effect. The lads needed minimal
motivation following Kev Brock’s match prediction. They wanted to prove a point and
show the other teams that Hull will be a threat to any team this year.” When
asked if he was disappointed with Brock’s reluctance to tip his team for victory in
two successive matches, Danby would only smile and reply, “Absolutely not. If Mr.
Brock would care to continue tipping our opposition for the rest of the season I’ll
send him a bottle of whatever he drinks!”
Hull Giants 12
– Widnes Kings 6 Attendance: 6004 Hull Giants stormed their way to an
imperious victory in this first pool game of the Shaun Edwards Cup, and in doing so
imparted a measure of revenge for their controversial pre-season defeat at the AutoQuest
stadium. Widnes took an early lead through
the reliable boot of David Furner after Julian O’Neill had been pulled up for a
dangerous tackle on Robbie Paul. Just two minutes later Hull replied with some style.
Allan Langer received the ball from Raper, and selling an outrageous dummy, set off on a
diagonal run towards the Widnes line. He was eventually hauled down by Brett Mullins, but
had the presence of mind to offload to McAvoy. The big winger then crashed over, taking
two defenders with him. Paul tagged on an angled conversion. McAvoy had an outstanding game. He
made plenty of hard yards from dummy half, helping out his forwards in their own half when
under pressure. He also superbly fielded several high kicks from Mitch Healey, preventing
Widnes’ tall winger Rogers from regaining the ball. Hull’s lead lasted just five
minutes before Robbie Paul finished off a clinical back line move for the Kings. However
Furner’s attempt at the conversion went narrowly wide, and the scores stayed tied at
six each. That was to be the last time that
Widnes scored, and it is to the Giants’ credit that they managed to nullify the
attacking flair of Robbie Paul, Keith Senior et al for a further 70 minutes. The nearest Widnes came to scoring
was on the half-hour mark, when the video referee adjudged that Stokes had failed to
ground the ball correctly. Hull’s killer blow came five
minutes into the second half. Henry Paul finished off a thirty metre break from Maloney to
touch down underneath the posts. Paul added the easy two. Hull’s defence held strong for
the remainder of the half, and Prescott did extremely well to kick dead a speculative
grubber kick from Healey, which took a devil’s bounce away from poor Francis Cummins. Hull had no other scares in the
match and could have extended their lead to eight points after Haughton was impeded at the
play of the ball following a strong break by the second row. Paul’s penalty attempt
drifted agonisingly wide of the target. Widnes tried hard to get themselves
back into the match, but the tactical kicking of Langer and Paul ensured that they had to
play in their own half of the pitch. Subsequently Hull absorbed the pressure where they
wanted to. Time and again the force of
Hull’s defence rattled the ribcages of the Kings’ backline, and they were forced
into conceding possession in dangerous areas of the park. It is to Widnes’ credit that
they conceded no further tries, when many a team would have caved under the pressure being
applied for long periods of time. Hull had chances to score again but
the scrambling defence of the King’s back three meant that Hull had to be content
with a 12-6 victory. Hull’s coaches Rob Gwatkin and
Matt Danby were delighted with the way their side had bounced back following back to back
defeats in their pre-season games. Gwatkin: ”We played very well
today, but I don’t want to get carried away just yet. One swallow doesn’t make a
summer, and there are many, many games left before the end of the season. Matt and I want
to be judged on a season’s campaign and not one match. Having said that I am
extremely proud of our players. To come away from the AutoQuest with a victory against a
side as strong as the Kings is very pleasing. Many teams will get nothing from here in the
future.” Danby: “I am pleased at the way
in which we have learned from our mistakes and upped our completion rates. Today we were
at 71%, but I will only be satisfied if we can add another 10% on top of that. We have
some difficult opponents in this group and our ball control will be crucial to a
successful passage to the knockout stages. “The whole team played with a
passion and control that both Rob and I knew they possessed. I thought Aaron Raper was
outstanding today and providing he remains fit he could be the lynchpin that holds the
team together this season.” Few of the many Hull fans that attended the game would find it hard to disagree with those comments. Bring on the Nomads!
HULL GIANTS 12 – WELSH DRAGONS 16 Attendance 7115 DRAGONS ROAR BACK TO STEAL VICTORY
Hull Giants were a whisker away from recording a creditable
victory against pre-season favourites the Welsh dragons. Only a mysterious loss of goal kicking form from Henry Paul
prevented Hull from taking something from this enthralling friendly in front of a bumper
crowd at the New Boulevard. Hull scored three tries, the same as their opponents, but the
kicking, or lack of it, from Paul was the telling factor in the end. Hull scorched into a 12-4 half time lead thanks to tries from
Gibson, Langer and O’Neill. They looked all set to put the Dragons to the sword in
the second half, but instead they had to beat back the flames of the incessant attacks
from the Welsh side. Inevitably the pressure told and the Dragons added two
converted second half tries to sneak past a rapidly tiring Hull defence. The match was not without controversy though, as both sides
appeared to be on the wrong end of some close decisions from the video referee. On four occasions Steve Ganson asked for clarification from
his counterpart, who adjudged that tries should be disallowed. Firstly Steve Hall followed up a clever kick from Allan
Langer, but the video ref decided that Hall had lost control of the ball in an attempt to
ground it. Five minutes later the Dragons had one disallowed for an
identical infringement. Gary Broadbent the unlucky player on this occasion. The final two decisions appeared to be harsh on Hull. Both
appeared to be 50-50 incidents, and Hull can consider themselves unlucky that they
didn’t get at least one of them in their favour. Firstly Nathan McAvoy and Olly Marns appeared to get a touch
to the ball at the same time, when Damian Gibson hacked on a sloppy pass from Paul.
Usually the attacking side gets the benefit of the doubt, but in this case it was the
Dragons who were favoured. Then once again the video ref proved crucial in denying Hull a
try when Hall was adjudged to make contact with the touch-in-goal line in the act of
scoring. Replays suggested otherwise when viewed from behind. However it would be unfair to deny the Dragons a hard fought
victory. The statistics showed that they were second best to the Giants in every
department, but their individual brilliance carried them home. This ingenuity was never better illustrated than when Marns
scored in the corner following a mesmerising run from Harris. The Oldham born player then
added on a superb touchline conversion to make the score 12-16 and effectively seal the
victory for the illustrious Dragons. Hull pounded away at the Dragons line for the final 5 minutes
but could only come up with Hall’s disallowed effort for their endeavours. Coach Rob Gwatkin was happy with Hull’s efforts though.
Commenting in the after match interview, he said, “I’m delighted with the effort
that the lads showed today. I don’t think any of the fans can deny that they gave
their all out there today. On another day we might have won this game by 20 points. We
have to learn to convert our half chances in to points and then some teams will be on the
wrong end of an avalanche of points here at the New Boulevard. The fans are magnificent
here and can lift the team to dizzy heights this season, especially if they continue to
turn up in the numbers they have done today.” Gwatkin refused to comment on the story that Henry Paul’s
accuracy with the boot had been affected by stories being bandied around the press of a
significantly large transfer fee being offered for his services. Assistant coach Matt Danby was also understated in his
response to these theories. “It IS true that a first division club offered us an
obscene amount of wonger for Henry, but the guy’s going nowhere. Except maybe Rugby
Union.” I’m sure that Henry is professional enough to put these
offers out of his mind. There is no truth in the rumour that he was seen boarding at North
Sea ferries Amsterdam terminal, and he definitely was NOT carrying any tulips.” Danby was also candid in his response to allegations of unrest
between himself and Gwatkin: “Rob and I are now on the best of terms. It’s true
that we had a bit of a disagreement following the Widnes game. He believed that my tactics
were not conducive to the conditions, and I told him that he was a fat b*stard. It kind of
deteriorated from there really. He threw some toys from his cot, but we eventually made up
when I helped him finish a two-piece jigsaw puzzle.” When asked to comment on the fine imposed by Kevin Brock
following his verdict on match official Cummins’ display at the Widnes game, Danby
would only say, “I stand by my comments. I challenge Cummins to stand in the centre
of the Boulevard pitch and find his arse with both his hands. I’ll even give him
three attempts.” Now THAT would be worth paying a fiver for!
WIDNES KINGS 18 – HULL GIANTS 12 Attendance 5721
All of the pre-match talk had centred around the expected
feast of attacking rugby league from two teams high on enthusiasm and skill. However the
match descended into farce due to Stuart Cummins inability to apply the laws of the
game. It was strange that the RFL had sanctioned Widnes born Cummins
to officiate at this mixture, albeit a pre-season friendly, when his hometown team were
involved! Any casual spectator would therefore have expected Cummins to
be as straight as a dye, however he wasn’t. His decisions mystified Hull Giants’ assistant coach Matt
Danby and his players. Danby refused to be drawn on the referee’s performance in
the after-match press conference, saying only, “Stuart Cummins is a wan*er, who
couldn’t find his arse with both his hands!” To blame Cummins totally for his sides’ defeat would be
churlish however. If the Giants had not made 15 handling errors (compared to their
opponents 5) they would probably have been comfortable winners in this encounter. Time and
time again the Hull side found themselves making great inroads in to the Kings’
defence only for the final ball to go to ground. The Hull backs appeared, on paper, to have the measure of
their Widnes counterparts. Widnes fielded two under performing players in Hallas and
Stokes, and Gibson and McAvoy looked to have the edge in both pace and size. However
neither player looked match fit yet. Hull had entered the match full of optimism for the new
season. They appear to have recruited well in the off-season and may have found a future
star in little known Australian Allan Langer. He looks every inch a future “hall of famer”. Matt
Danby revealed that head coach Rob Gwatkin had been reluctant to give the untried
youngster his first team debut before this match. Danby revealed however that Gwatkin had arrived at
Widnes’ Thermal Vest stadium and suddenly realised that he had left his bollocks in
his wife’s handbag. Fortunately for the Giants coach he was able to convince a
passing youngster to lend him his bike to return to Hull to collect them. This left Danby with the task of choosing the 17 to play.
“I never had any qualms about throwing Allan, or Alfie as I’ve named him, into
this game. He’s got class written all the way through him.” Hull took the lead after 5 mins when Jim Dymock blew kisses at
the defence as he strolled through an enormous gap to touchdown underneath the posts.
Henry Paul added the conversion. This seemed to shake the Kings out of their malaise and
in to action, despite the loss of influential half back Matthew Johns just a minute
later. However minutes later Maloney blew a gilt-edged chance to
extend Hull’s lead when he knocked on with the line at his mercy. This signalled the
turning point of the game for Hull. Had Maloney scored and taken Hull out to a 12 point
lead, the Kings would never have got back into it. From this point on the Kings started to play and, aided by numerous dodgy decisions by Stuart Cummins, they hauled themselves back into the game after 11 mins. Rogers was awarded a touchdown by Cummins following up a kick from Mitch Healey. The ball quite clearly hit the touch-in-goal line and rested there for several seconds before Rogers stretched his long frame out to touch the ball. Despite protests from the Hull camp, the try was awarded. Furner added an excellent conversion to tie up the game. Hull appeared to have taken the lead again on the 15 min mark
when a great run form Maloney resulted in Francis Cummins crossing for his first for the
club. However his namesake Stuart decided to hand the decision on to the video ref,
claiming that Maloney had not played the ball correctly. The TV replay clearly showed that
Brett Mullins had interfered with Maloney, but the try was disallowed. From this point on the Hull head dropped and they never looked
like having the confidence to win. Nikau was put over from a splendid pass by Paul and Furner
made the score 12-6 to the Kings. Hull again bombed several chances before half time with error
after error afflicting their game. The second half saw Stuart Cummins make baffling decision
after baffling decision. Robbie Paul appeared to do a “Hopoate” on Jim Dymock,
yet the Hull player was penalised for laying on at the play of the ball! Cummins also awarded Paul a penalty following claims from the
Widnes hooker that Aaron Raper had farted in the scrum. This infuriated the mass of travelling Hull fans and they
began to ask Cummins if he knew who his Father was, and that they knew he was indeed well
versed in the art of self pleasure!!! Hull managed to defy Cummins and score a well deserved try
through Francis Maloney on the hour mark. Although this was only awarded following
extensive debate with the in-goal touch judge. Paul added the extras to tie up the game
again. The improbable was beginning to look feasible for the tiring
Hull outfit. Could they carry on and beat the 14 men of Widnes? The answer unfortunately was no. They didn’t control the
ball well enough, and this, combined with some excellent scrambling by the Widnes defence,
snuffed out any half chances they might have created. The killer blow for Hull came just 7 minutes from time, when
Hough touched down another kick from Healey. This time the ball took a ricochet off the
ref straight into his grateful hands. Furner added the easy extras and Hull looked
devastated. Despite a frantic last 5 minutes and a couple of near calls,
Hull couldn’t find the score they needed. The game finished in controversy though when Langer chipped
over the top of the defensive line and appeared to be clearly impeded in his efforts to
regain the ball. Cummins waved play on and the hooter went. Final score 18-12 to the home side. Assistant coach Danby said of his teams’ performance,
“ We’re a much better team than that. We failed to complete our sets of six or
retain possession in good attacking positions. You just can’t give a good side like
Widnes that much of the ball and expect to come away with a win.” Hull look to have the makings of a useful side here, and
barring an horrific injury list they would be hoping to make the five, especially if their
key players find their form early on. Bring on the Dragons!!!!
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