HULL FC SEASON REVIEW: All aboard the rollercoaster

2020 was a strange year for Hull FC. I toyed with using this an opening line for Hull FC's season review, conscious of the fact that it is equally applicable to any of the black and white's seasons in recent memory.

The 2020 season was the usual mix of heady optimism, inexplicably heavy defeats, more hope but ultimately disappointment. In 2018, Adam Pearson launched a scathing attack on his players, threatening to release underperforming players following an 80-10 defeat to Warrington. The personal nature of the criticism was a surprise at the time, although as time has gone by and more attacks have followed, the words have become hollow.

Hull FC's recruitment for 2020 was a mixed bag. They brought in some NRL big-hitters, including Manu Ma'u, Ligi Sao and former player Mahe Fonua. This was supplemented by experienced Super League players in Adam Swift and Josh Jones and more experimental signings in Jordan Johnstone and Joe Cator from the Championship.

The most impressive of those signings were Johnstone and Cator. The former has dethroned Danny Houghton as Hull FC's starting hooker and many observers considered Cator as a candidate for the Dream Team. Meanwhile, Fonua has not hit the heights of his first spell at Hull FC, Swift has been primarily a reserve and Jones looks set to leave.

This begs wider questions of Hull FC's recruitment. Are the club too focused on the big-name, NRL, international players and guilty of overlooking talent right under their nose? With the lesser-lights and lower-spend players bringing the greatest returns, it is arguably time for Hull FC to focus on dependable recruitment, with a view to achieving greater consistency, rather than shooting for the stars and falling flat.

Hull FC's season could not have started any better. They travelled to Headingley to face Leeds and performed to their maximum, totally dominating their opponents. This was backed up by an entertaining victory over local rivals Hull KR. Things soon turned sour.

They managed just one win in the next five, that sole victory coming courtesy of a Marc Sneyd golden-point drop goal against Wakefield. The KCOM Stadium was suddenly not the beacon of optimism that it was in early-February. The unhappiness at head coach Lee Radford reared its head once more.

It came to a head on 12 March 2020, where Warrington humiliated a lifeless Hull FC at home. Sometimes the emotion of a match can lead to an over-reaction. However, the Hull FC fans were entitled to the staunch criticism of the team that followed. A team that performed shamefully below its competence.

The game is, of course, remembered because Lee Radford did not emerge for his post match interview with Sky Sports. Owner Adam Pearson instead fronted up to confirm that Radford had been relieved of his duties. Whilst there was a misconception that Radford was sacked live on TV (the truth being he had been told immediately after the game), it was yet another example of hot-headedness that a decision was taken and announced so proximate to the end of the game.

This was Hull FC's final game before the season was suspended. Radford must have cursed the fact that he was left without work as lockdown hit, although happily, he has now secured work in American Rugby Union (bet you didn't see that coming)!

Assistant coach Andy Last was placed in interim charge, which lasted until the season's end. Last made some bold calls, such as dropping captain Danny Houghton to the bench and promoting Jordan Johnstone in his place.

Yet Last still suffered with the same inconsistency that has plagued Hull FC for years. For the impressive wins over Castleford and Huddersfield (twice each) and Hull KR, there were drubbings by Salford, Wigan and Warrington.

The season looked set to end in disappointment with Hull FC finishing sixth. One place out of the top five play-off spots (as planned at the start of the season) or two places outside the top four play off spots (as dictated by a covid-dominated season).

However, Hull FC drew a reprieve, as the season was brought to a premature close and the play-offs expanded to six teams, in a helter-skelter season moulded in Hull FC's own image. Hull FC's reprieve saw them face Warrington away.

With Hull FC's inconsistency, I gave them little chance of progression in the play-off's. How wrong was I? With the exception of the opening day victory over Leeds, this was the best performance of the season. Hull FC were clinical and defended strongly, and deserved their three score victory. 

Hull FC battled well against Wigan in the play-off semi final, far more so than they did in the Challenge Cup Quarter Final against the same opponents, but were ultimately outclassed. And there is little shame in losing away to Wigan in the play offs.

What of 2021? Albert Kelly has left the club and Jamie Shaul is a long-term injury, so there will have to be changes. Josh Reynolds has been signed from Wests Tigers as a replacement for Kelly. Reynolds has played in Grand Finals and at Origin level, so is very experienced, but has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot at Wests. He has also been dogged by off-field controversy.

Is this another example of Hull FC's dice-rolling recruitment? Aiming for the stars, but setting up for a fall? Would they have been better suited looking for a player with greater reliability? Only time will tell.

Jake Connor, who may or may not be the love-child of Sky Sports pundit Jon Wells, is one of Hull FC's stars. He is capable of magic, but at the age of 26 has still not nailed down a regular position. He has played at full back, centre and in the half back roles. At times, he has excelled in all. At others, he has disappointed in all.

Connor is a gifted player. However, he can be guilty of drifting through games and appearing to focus more on getting under the skin of his opponents that playing his own game. With Jamie Shaul injured on a long term basis, this gives Connor the opportunity to finally secure a jersey of his own and shake off the jack of all trades, master of none perception. He has the ability to do it and I hope he does.

The final talking point for Hull FC in 2021 is the decision to appoint Brett Hodgson as head coach ahead of Andy Last. Last guided Hull FC to a play-off semi final and did show signs of stabilising the club after turbulence. He very much achieved his brief, if not overachieved it.

Hodgson has been an assistant coach in both Super League and the NRL and was highly thought of at Widnes. But does he offer any more than Last? Maybe it's the Australian accent that makes him more qualified for the job. I would have preferred to see Last given his chance.

The notion that Australian = better is a confusing one. Australian coaches have not greater chance of succeeding in Super League than British coaches.

Perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree. It could be that Hull FC want a clean break from the Radford era, which would include a clean break from Last, who was Radford's long-standing assistant. In which case, Hodgson would seem a shrewd and ambitious appointment.

Predicting what Hull FC will do in any given year is a fool's game. So I am certainly not going to predict what 2021 holds for them! But if Brett Hodgson can eradicate the inconsistent performances that have dogged Hull FC for many years, with a top 6 play off again in 2021, that will be the minimum expectation at the KCOM Stadium.