Hull FC were looking for back to back Super League wins for the first time in 2024 but they were likely to find Warrington Wolves a far tougher prospect than last weeks Leeds Rhinos side who they had faced just hours before the fall of the Rohan empire.
Warrington are in danger of slipping down the table and into the lower play-off places and need a couple of confidence boosting wins after three consecutive losses while you must search back as far as July 2023 to find the last time that the FC players took home winner pay two rounds running.
The bookies thought it was a foregone conclusion as they gave the home side a twelve-point start on the coupon but with a little bit of confidence tucked under their belt from last week, the Airlie Birds were confident of springing a surprise.
Warrington were first over the whitewash on five minutes when Toby King avoided a lunging tackle before taking a chance and improving the angle, grounding just before he was passed into touch. Josh Thewlis added the conversion, in off the top of the near post, for a 6-0 lead.
Tom Briscoe went close to a levelling score on nine but a great defensive effort from the Wolves kept him out and a Morgan Smith 40-20 on thirteen gave FC a great opportunity but again the Wolves defence held firm.
Despite holding the lead since the fifth minute, it was Warrington’s defensive effort that was keeping them in the game as FC laid siege to their twenty.
On the half hour mark Adam Holroyd was sin-binned for a low-level force high tackle but against the run of play it was the twelve men who scored their second on thirty-three with Matt Dufty taking a George Williams inside pass to score by the right upright. Thewlis added the conversion for a 12-0 lead, Hull in disbelief that their dominance had counted for nothing.
Hull FC finally got on the board five minutes after the restart with an intercept and breakaway try from Denive Balmforth who managed to evade the tackle of Josh Drinkwater until just before the line, making the whitewash to ground by the left upright. Ben Reynolds added the conversion, the Wolves lead pegged back to six points.
The Wolves took just five minutes to hit back, Danny Walker taking an inside pass from Max Wood five from the line and scoring under the sticks. Thewlis found the target with ease, the Wolves again twelve up.
A great intercept and break by Carlos Tuimavave was thwarted by Matt Dufty as he chased back and hauled down the Hull centre. On the fourth tackle Liam Sutcliffe collected a neat Balmforth grubber to score under the tackle, grounding on the line. Reynolds added the conversion for 12-18, the game back in the balance with eighteen minutes remaining.
Eleven minutes remained when Hull got their third try of the afternoon, Tom Briscoe taking a long pass from from Logan Moy to slide in at the corner. Reynolds added the touchline conversion to level the scores at 18-18, FC now in the ascendancy and with the momentum.
A Williams attempted drop goal on seventy-eight was charged down but Matt Dufty picked up the rebound and weaved his way through the FC defence to score in the corner. Thewlis converted in off the far post for a Warrington win by 24-18.
There was plenty of fire on display from Hull FC but in the end a moment of genius from Matt Dufty sealed the win for the visitors and saw them taking the points west along the M62 to kick start the Wolves season and get them back to winning ways. The Wolves kept their nerve and when it looked as though a drop goal charge down may signal golden point, Dufty scored a jinking solo try to secure the spoils.
Hull FC: Moy, Briscoe (T), Tuimavave, Sutcliffe (T), Martin, Trueman, Reynolds (3/3 G), Ese’Ese, Smith, Aydi, Scott, Lane, Sao. Subs: Ashworth, Balmforth (T), Fash, Gardiner. 18th Man: Litten.
Warrington Wolves: Dufty (2T), Thewlis (4/4 G), King (T), Tai, Ashton, Williams, Drinkwater, Harrison, Walker (T), Vaughan, Nicholson, Holroyd (SB on 30), Currie. Subs: Musgrove, Bullock, Powell, Wood. 18th Man: Whitehead.
Half-Time: 0-12.
Full-Time: 18-24.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, (SB), 0-10, 0-12 : HT: 4-12, 6-12, 6-16, 6-18, 10-18, 12-18, 16-18, 18-18, 18-22, 18-24 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Warrington.
Referee: Ben Thaler.
