Gentle: 'Misfiring' Hull FC can turn it around
COACH Peter Gentle says the desire and character of his Hull FC side will make sure it won't be long before they start to climb the Super League table.
Gentle refused to panic after seeing his side fall to a fourth defeat in seven games, as leaders Huddersfield Giants completed a 24-10 victory at the John Smith's Stadium.
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Desire: Hull's Richard Whiting charges downfield at Huddersfield.
Critical of a misfiring attack, the FC coach says he was pleased with Hull's efforts but they came up against a very good side who showed Hull the level they need to get to.
"We were misfiring at times, but what I have got in this squad is the desire of the boys and we will be all right, there is plenty of character there," said Gentle.
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"We are not in a hole, we just came up against a very good side and they showed us where we have got to get to. I was pleased with our effort, our execution at times left a lot to be desired and needs a bit of work."
With five points from a possible 14 on offer, Hull have made a stuttering start and now face a decisive two weeks with a trip to London Broncos on Saturday followed by a busy Easter schedule that features the derby and Wakefield away.
Unable to build on last week's 52-0 victory against Castleford, Hull again showed promising signs in a hard-fought and entertaining encounter, but returned home empty handed.
Tries for Ben Galea and Ben Crooks cancelled out Shaun Lunt's early score to give Hull a slender lead to build on in the second half.
But the combination of a lack of creativity and two harsh forward pass decisions went against the Black and Whites as the Giants scored 18 unanswered points to wrap up victory.
"They are a very good team. They completed at about 95 per cent and, with a good kicking game on the back of that, we seemed to be always coming off our line with no good ball sets," explained Gentle.
"We are still finding our feet and developing a style that suits us.
"A few things we tried didn't work, a few that did we could have done better and if we had we could have got a result.
"It's not panic stations yet. They are a very good side and are top of the table for a reason. We are not far off.
"There were plenty of plusses to come out of it. We came thinking we'd get a result, but I don't think we gave ourselves a chance in the first half."
Eager to not make excuses, Gentle revealed a bug had swept through the Hull camp last week and with numerous injuries, six players were given fitness tests before proving they could play.
"We only came together on Friday with six players facing a fitness test. Five of them passed and one didn't," added Gentle.
"Shannon McDonnell only trained for the first time on Friday, Daniel Holdsworth, Andy Lynch and Joe Westerman the same, there was a heap of them. We've had a bug go through the place, that didn't help.
"That's no excuse, though, because we took a long time to warm into our game and in the first half we seemed content to just go set for set with them and not throw a lot at them."
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by hullinoman
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 2:01AM
“I agree with most of the comments to varying degrees. It is early in the season, both teams are disappointing, and I think Mr Gentle is better than Mr Agar, who as I seem to remember, spent much of the last year of his tenure telling us how well training had gone.
I thought we had a chance against Huddersfield, at 10- 6 if the next score had gone to us I had a feeling we could have held on. That we lost is, sadly, indicative of where we are as a club: at our very best we can compete with good teams for an hour or so. The disappointing thing is despite all the money spent on players, and the pre season proclamations of Mr Gentle who seemed determined to raise our expectations, we are probably a bit worse than last year with no real sign that we can become one of the best teams, a team that others measure themselves against as we do with Leeds, Huddersfield and Warrington.
Still, I live in hope that both clubs can be successful. Finally, thought the local players were superb the other night, why not bring more through..”
by FC_ON_THE_UP
Monday, March 18 2013, 5:51PM
“Tony L................**** off then and stay at home, i hate "supporters" like you. I'm as frustrated as eeryone else is but nobody won any silverware 7 games into the season did they ? We're 4 points off 2nd, and April is a month where we can (should) start to climb the table. Ellis back in a few weeks, Tickle Back, Heremaia back, keep the Faith !!!
However, we DESPERATELY need a number 7. And i agree, without a class scrum half, we'll never break the top 4.”
by drspock
Monday, March 18 2013, 5:13PM
“Apart from the Widnes game the other games were always going to be tough, the Giants have beaten leeds,Saints and Wigan and most people expected Fc to get a good hiding but they never and with a bit of luck could have won.Yes we lack in attack and for me its down to not having a player in the Brough or Dobson class if either were in the fc side i believe Fc would be sitting at the top.I feel Gentle is coming in for unfair comments,but we are all entitled to our opinions and mine is that he is far better than Agar was. Westerman to be fair has not set the world on fire and apart from a couple of mistakes was one of Fc's better forwards.Without a good 7 we were never going to be a top four club.I believe we will be top eight”
by johnndpearl
Monday, March 18 2013, 3:20PM
“i don't know about any body else but i am getting tired of the same inept excuses as to our form,ok 7 games in and we have become stagnant in our go forward,if we had 13 danny houghtons on the pitch we would be top of the league right now. he is a tackling machine irrespective of size he is fully commited to the task but how long will it be before he becomes jaded from carrying the rest. westerman is plodding around like a cart horse at times throwing blind passes out,( no matter what you think of peacock at least he turns and off loads with support) i feel sorry for the tryers but this has to change we are becomming very predictable no attacking flare and i think mr gentle needs to lose his rag with them and lay down the law this softly softly approach is not working for me. in th hdm he said they had a bug but if they are not fit at this level don't play them, we need a good performance against london orwe are in danger of falling well behind especially with the derby on it way.”
by TonyL
Monday, March 18 2013, 2:00PM
“And both teams are badly coached.
Sandercock should stick to coaching kids and Gentle should stick to being an assistant coach to someone who knows what they are doing.”
by TonyL
Monday, March 18 2013, 1:56PM
“Have one Hull club in the City.
Initialy lot's of oppossition but people will eventually swing round to the idea especially if the team was playing good RL.
KR have reached there level with the crowds and resources available.
Hull FC are joke, overpaid average players who play the dullest RL I've seen in years.”
by garycott
Monday, March 18 2013, 1:43PM
“GEvans. Your spot on,two mid-table teams but one has delusions of grandeur and the other dosen't.!”
by biltonkev
Monday, March 18 2013, 12:03PM
“I reckon...........
Warrington
Wigan
Leeds
Huddersfield
Catalans
St Helens
Bradford
Hull
Wakefield
Hull KR
Widnes
London
Castleford
Salford”
by biltonkev
Monday, March 18 2013, 11:52AM
“At least Hull can tackle!! I dread to think what will happen when Rovers travel to Wigan and Leeds and Warrington, the Super League record score is in danger.”
by kevsguitar
Monday, March 18 2013, 11:24AM
“Look at the league. Bradford will make 7th or 8th, but definately no higher. Which leaves Hull and Rovers at their very best fighting out with Bradford for 7th or 8th.
I hope this at least happens.
At this moment in time, I see Hull fighting it out with Bradford for 7th or 8th and Rovers fighting out for 9th and 10th.
I know the season is only a qtr through, but let's be honest, we haven't seen any improvement in both teams since the start of the season.
Hull have to start winning the battle for possession and Rovers have to learn to tackle (and hold a ball.) Who would be a coach?”