Brett Hodgson has previewed Saturday’s game Betfred Challenge Cup game against Wigan and says his side have leant plenty of lessons from last week’s defeat against the Warriors to take into the match.
Hull are hoping to book their spot in the semi-finals of the competition when they go up against Adrian Lam’s side at Emerald Headingley in the quarter-finals on Sunday, as the Black & Whites aim to get back to winning ways.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, brought to you in association with Jacuzzi, Hodgson said: “We weren’t good enough in elements to win that game last week, but we did show that we’re good enough to put up a fight against those top teams.
“Even with our performance, we could have snuck away with a win, and that says where we’re at. There are plenty of lessons to take forward but we’re not the finished product yet.
“We processed the game pretty well. We were close, so small improvements this week may give us the chance to get a result this time around.”
Reviewing the Warriors ahead of this week’s game, he said: “They’re a great team and have deserved been at the top for a number of years. They’re well coached and just don’t go away in games. We’re expecting another eighty minute performance.
“The mentality of a cup game changes slightly with it being a knock-out match. We know we have to win but to knock out someone of that standard would give us a huge boost in confidence.”
Hodgson also gave an update on the injury sustained by Scott Taylor last week, while confirming the key duo of Josh Reynolds and Manu Ma’u will return this weekend.
“It’s the best case of something that could have been far worse for Scott. He is looking like he’ll be out for six to eight weeks.
“He has a fracture and a low grade lisfranc (midfoot) injury which could have been a season ending injury if it was a bit higher. Thankfully, it is not the worse-case scenario.
He added: “Having Josh back is a big boost for us – he is a high quality player and has been training really well over the last few weeks. He may have been able to go last week had the game been a few days later, but we thought it was important to get a few more kilometres into his legs on the training field first.
“He’s got through everything well, as has Manu Ma’u, so that’s two big important additions to our squad.”
Hodgson also provided a brief comment on Andre Savelio, following the incident that occurred in last week’s clash against the Warriors.
“I want to say how proud I am of how Andre has handled himself.
“He was put in a very hard situation; there is never a right time for racism in sport, or in life in general. The fact that he stood up for himself, his culture, and his ethnicity makes me really proud of his actions.
“He is a big part of our club, a big personality and very well liked amongst the playing group and across the club in general. We have been supportive of him and will continue to be so.”
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