The atmosphere and expectations were much different from when Hull KR and Hull FC met in the opening fixture of the season, when the sides were on parity with high hopes and dreams for the season ahead. The Good Friday derby game saw a Hull KR side who were doing well in mid-table and who knew that a win would put them level on points with the current top of the table while FC came into the game third bottom with the hopes that a win would lift them above Leigh into ninth spot.
KR humiliated the Airlie Birds on that occasion with a big twenty-two point victory, keeping their old enemy pointless and sending the home crowd home with desperation on their faces.
The bookies expected that it would the Robins who would take the win and the points with a massive twenty-two-point handicap on the coupon, no-one gave the visitors a chance.
Hull FC came out of the blocks as though they believed that they could spring a surprise but after defending well, the Robins took the lead on eleven minutes with Niall Evalds finishing after Tyrone May stepped and broke the line from the play the ball with Mikey Lewis darting through a gap before supplying his full back to go over. Jez Litten was wide with the conversion attempt when he should have really scored.
The second try came on fifteen minutes, Joe Burgess spinning out of the tackle to ground down the right-side attack after a great Evalds fend and pass to Hiku who in turn found his winger. Litten missed a second conversion.
KR were rampant as they went in for their third on nineteen, the Hull FC defence left in their wake as Mikey Lewis took a pass after a great Evalds break and stepped out of a tackle, fended off a defender, and went over in the left corner. Litten was zero from three with the kicking, KR with a 12-0, lead and in total control.
James Batchelor scored his first of the season to extend the lead on twenty-seven after Hiku hosted through the FC line with ease and passed inside to the second rower to press the accelerator and power over in the right corner. Litten again pushed his kick, KR had now left eight points in the locker but were still 16-0 ahead.
Fabulous hands from the Robins saw Peta Hiku score the fifth first half try for his sides. Half a dozen players were involved as the FC defensive line was stretched across the field. Litten found the target for the first time in the afternoon, the home side with a totally dominant 22-0.
A minute before the interval Burgess got his second of the game, again with an overlap as the FC defence failed to slide with Hiku pulling in the winner before offloading to his winger for a simple dot down. Litten kicked his second goal of the afternoon, the Robins taking a 28-0 lead into the interval.
FC were dealt an early second half blow as Danny Houghton was helped from the field on forty-five but on forty-nine the visitors scored the first points of the second half when Jayden Okunbor charged down a Mikey Lewis kick, collected the ball and ran forty metres to dive over. Darnell McIntosh added the conversion for 6-26.
On fifty-two the Airlie Birds were in again as Cameron Scott took a looping pass and went over the top of Tom Opacic to ground from five metres out. McIntosh was wide, the KR lead down to sixteen points.
There was a lot more dedication and passion from FC in the second half but on seventy minutes Kelepi Tanginoa swiped aside a couple of tacklers to ground by the left upright. Mikey Lewis took over the kicking duties and put the ball straight between the uprights.
With a couple of minutes remaining, Darnell McIntosh spilled the ball on the KR line when all he had to do was put it on the ground for the four pointer, it would be the last scoring opportunity of the game.
It was an emphatic win for the home side but some credit is due to Hull FC who could have thrown the towel in at the interval but who came out for the second forty and outscored their hosts. Bit the first half performance from KR was scintillating and FC had no answer for the fast hands and fluid moves. KR are level top, FC are in even more trouble down the bottom of the table, Tony Smith under increasing pressure as head coach.
Hull KR: Evalds (T), Burgess (2T), Hiku (T), Opacic, Hall R, May, Lewis (T, G), Sue, Litten (2G), Whitbread, Hadley, Batchelor (T), Minchella. Subs: Luckley, Tanginoa (T), Parcell, Aydin. 18th Man: Hall C.
Hull FC: Hoy, Martin, Sutcliffe, Scott, McIntosh (G), Brown N, Smith, Ese’ese, Houghton, Ashworth, Okunbor (T), Sao, Lane. Subs: Charles, Gardiner, Pele, Brown J. 18th Man: Litten.
Half-Time: 28-0.
Full-Time: 34-10.
Score Progression: 4-0, 8-0, 12-0, 16-0, 20-0, 22-0, 26-0, 28-0 : HT: 28-4, 28-6, 28-10, 32-10, 34-10 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: KR.
Referee: Liam Moore.
