Congrats on a great season, your best for a good while. Dissapointed that you didn't make it to the GF, I really wanted to see a final where the result would definately see a new name on the trophy. See you next season.

Perhaps some are disappointed we've had one our most successful season for quite a long while?

VERY negative, no, not really, it's being realistic. Look at what happened through the season, read what Radford himself said last night. He played virtually the first 17 all season compared to all the other top teams, that got us through the campaign to the top of the league for most of the year and to sneak the CC win with a fantastic comeback despite playing mickey poor for 60 minutes. We managed it on the back of forward power/domination + Sneyd's kicking and certainly not on the back of guile/inventive play.
As has being mentioned a few times by posters, teams have figured us out, we don't have a plan B, we aren't that good in the final 20 far too often and come the back end of the season we got found out fitness/endurance wise (Again Radford's own words) and as a consequence we dropped off and lost 6 of the last 9 games.

Repeating this season next is going to be far harder, we are unlikely to be as fortunate with injuries (it must be the best season ever with respect to that) and clearly players unless rotated within the forwards more than this season will flag at the back end as seen throughout the 8s (and even further back as I alluded to). Even Ellis and Houghton looked shagged against Warrington and that was in the first 10 minutes. Importantly we need to start having some creative play, that hasn't happened much for a while.
We were a loss against a micturate poor Hudds Leeds away from winning the LLS and a definite home tie in the play offs. Continuing with the 'Hulk smash' formula for next season won't reap the same dividends this and IMHO we won't replicate this season. might we still be in with a shout, of course and of course I want silverware again, it's just an opinion based on what we've seen.s
WIZEB, read again, some are disappointed how we have performed in the S8s, me included. That does not suggest for one second that fans are disappointed in the season overall, but then you have a hard time at deciphering plain English and like to put your own spin on things for the sake of wanting to cause a ruck.

Its been a fantastic season for you Guys. After the Widnes game early in the season who would have guessed that you would win the Challenge Cup (by beating all the big teams along the way), top SL for most of the season and be within a whisker of making the GF.

Next season will be another great season for you because the players that you have got are very good.

It's been a good season, completely surpassing my pre season expectations and wembley will live with me forever HOWEVER I can't get away from my thinking that we've blown an amazing chance to win all 3 trophies on offer this year. If we were playing now as we were mid season then we'd have taken the LLS at a canter and we'd have beaten whoever we'd have ended up playing at OT next week. Despite being really poor since wembley, we've still given saints a good game at their place, thrown away a game winning lead against wigan at the KC, been in the shoot out for the LLS with less than 10 minutes to go and led at wigan in the semi with less than 1/4 of the match left. It's just really gutting for me that we've performed so poorly and still being there or thereabouts.

For anyone questioning effort and commitment, you've been watching a different team to me all season. Other than (maybe) widnes away, it's been the most hard working, committed group of players I've seen in hull shirts since the Brian Smith era. Similarly, sneyd has been off since wembley but this is the guy who has won us plenty of games this season with his kicking, including the CC final so people need to get a grip.

Being an eternal pessimist (no, really I am), I can't help but think we won't be as good next year. ellis and mini a year older, no yeamo to shore up our left edge defence, a lack of pace in the team, still question marks over the stand off position, a lack of attacking flair, no dummy runners and a shortage of players who support the man with the ball (how many times did mini get his hands free last night only to have no one to pass to?). Plenty to fix up in the off season but radford now has some runs on the board so hopefully less pressure will allow him to build again from here.

Next season could see us moving into a period of transition as the likes of mini, ellis and maybe pritchard could potentially retire and recruiting suitable replacements will be a big challenge for motu. We also need to look at tying down sneyd and watts (who has been outstanding this year IMO and could have his head turned by his bezzie at warrington if we're not careful) to longer term contracts.

For me, we need a bit more pace and flair in the team. We'll still grind out wins, I'm sure, but we need to become a better attacking threat as a team which will mean we still win games even when we're a bit off like the wire and wigan games at the KC.

All in all, a season above expectations but one which I'm still gutted that we haven;t really achieved what we might have

No one has figured us out at all, we've simply hit a wall since wembley.

Summed up very nicely Jake..





Going forward, the bar has been set to a high level..

I think Radford, needs to take a long hard look, at why our attack, as a team has diminished.

IMO ,Our attack declined, when we removed Pryce at 6....

Shaul, is a great runner, but doesnt have the nouse, to create the openings , but coupled with a ball playing 6, or a direct 6.. works.

For mine Sneyd and Carlos are too similar...

Too many occasions, players take the ball from a standing start.. this has to be addressed in training.. - maybe a new attack coach, would aid this problem.

According to Lee Radford when interviewed, "Is it basics?" - He said "No, its nouse"


The Jake Connor signing is interesting,, will he play 6 or 1????????????.....

Also interesting, recruitment wise.. Will be... IF its Ellis.Pritchard & Minichiello last season in 2017?

Do they replace them with 3 backrowers???

If any team has been figured out it is Wigan. Its been known for years what they do but it hasn't stopped them winning. Similarly if opponents know what Hull are going to do it isn't the end of the world. Execute it well and its hard to beat - the execution has dropped off in the last month probably due to fatigue and players carrying injuries.

We could have won all 3 trophies and there would have still been some supporters not happy
Live and enjoy the time we had and aim higher next season

we hit a wall long before wembley, some of the performances were average but we sneaked some wins but we also lost a couple of shockers with tired legs already showing (when Radford should have freshened things up). Teams have figured out that we've been running out of gas in games and that we are crap in the 20 and that our attack mainly consisted of forwards smashing it (aside from Minichello) and a Sneyd kick. Adjusting how you deal with that is simpler than say a team like Cas, Wigan, St,Helens even Catalans before they totally imploded..
Sure Fonua pulled out some great stuff, indeed Shaul earlier in the season but since Carlos came into the halves (not blaming him BTW) we have been clueless and easier to deal with as our main threat has got progressively more jaded.

Exactly this!!

No doubt Wigan deserved to win but does anybody think Farrell should have got binned for deliberate offside?

We won 5 from 7 in July and August leading up to wembley and one of the losses was to cas who caught us cold after the semi. Performances were maybe off where they had been but we were still good.

And Tierney, who on the play before, tackles the dummy half from behind. Water under the bridge now but there you go

Think it was Tierney who's was worse. Stood at the side of our ptb and tackled our player as soon as he got the ball. Professional foul if ever I've seen one.

But Farrell was always a yard or two offside when we near their line. Don't know how he gets away with it

In the end I think our injury situation has actually helped at this time of the season.
Matty Smith, Sam Powell, Willie Isa and to a lesser extent Taulima Tautai have played nearly all season, I'd be surprised if the rest of last nights team have played half a season.
We look very fresh and full of confidence, after watching dross for 90% of the season it's as if the shackles have come off and we're playing what's in front of us instead of constantly trying to set up "the move".

Congratulations on your season, however disappointed some of you may feel at how it's ended, remember one thing, that song is in the dustbin forever.

PS, if you get the chance watch Gelling's post match on pitch interview, priceless, the man is a legend.

Gelling talks a lot of sense. The Video Ref system needs reviewing again.

Good post in response to Jake
Our two best attacking performances Catalan and Saints away Pryce was at 6
Tuimavave had a decent game last night particularly defence but he is not a six to take the team forward,undoubtably he is a much better centre.We need an established six preferably with pace.
you only have to look at what Williams does with his pace and he is still only 21.
I like Jamie Shaul but agree with your comments.Last night he was trapped twice in goal because he ran the ball out in the wrong direction.Thats lack of what you say nouse.
Looking forward after next season second row will be a worry.Warrington have young lads like Currie and Hughes,Wigan have Bateman all established players yet still very young.
We dont seem to have anyone yet stepping up from the 19s or under 23s and making a position for themselves.We have yet to see what Dean Hadley can do with a run as a regular starter but when you lose the quality of Ellis,Mini and Pritchard they are big shoes to fill.

Pryce? For real?

He may have featured in two of our 'best attacking performances' (debatable) but he also played in games where our attack was poor. He wasn't able to put in consistent performances and that's why he was dropped.

Abdul was given the chance to take over and failed to impress.

Carlos has been steadily improving at 6 and may yet grow into the player we need there.

Agree, we've a promising half back pairing , who have just got us cc final win, and 80 mins from gf and both only 24 years old! And people want to give up on them, amazing!

Absolutely spot on

Edited for accuracy.
Talking sense on here, your having a tin bath.
This is the best ride I've had with FC and I've been around a while.
Looking forward to it all again next year, which is more than I can say for the last 10.
Bumpy, your clueless.
Moanaire, your monotonous.
Me, I'm ecstatic, no flipping derbies

I was really rooting for you guys last night.
I like the way you play. I hate the boring wigoon way of playing irrespective of if its effective. (When they throw it about I still don't like them but at least it's more enjoyable as a neutral.

To win more than one trophy is really difficult. We've both had good years overall.