Hull FC head coach Tony Smith has spoken to the media amidst talks of pressure surrounding his job, led and driven by fans on social media following the club’s poor start to the season.
The black-and-whites have certainly had a tough start to 2024, with only a last-gasp win against London Broncos keeping them from remaining winless.
They’ve conceded 104 points in their last two games, being beaten 54-4 by previously winless Leigh Leopards and losing 50-6 to Huddersfield Giants in the Challenge Cup at the weekend.
Smith was asked how long it would be before things started to turn around, but his response is unlikely to give Hull FC fans peace of mind.
He responded: “I can’t tell you. There’s no exact science.
“I’d love to be able to say this week. We’ll be trying this week, and I’ll say if it’s not this week, it’ll be the week afterwards, and if it’s not the week after… you know.
“We’ll keep trying hard and working hard, and when it turns around, it will turn around.
“You see, if I gave an answer to that question I’d be a liar because I don’t know. Nobody knows until it happens.”
“It’s not going to happen overnight”
Credit: Imago Images
The conversation then moved to his line of communication with the board at Hull FC.
When asked what they have been saying to him, he said: “‘Crack on, do your job that you’re brought in to do’.
“That’s what I’m doing and they’re good with that. They know it’s a project and they know it was not going to happen overnight.
“Unfortunately, some people out there might want it to happen overnight. It’s not always possible.
“I’m always open to those sort of experiences where people have changed fortunes very quickly about their situations when it’s not so good.
“But most of us have to work hard to get through them. And that’s what we’ll stick with until I hear some of the better stories.
It would certainly be a story if Hull FC do manage to cause the upset, after all, it looked like men against boys in Round One when Hull KR beat them 22-0 in the Hull derby at MKM Stadium, and the Craven Park crowd will only make it harder for his side.
Positives at Hull FC?
Smith seemed positive going into the game, despite everything: “We’re hoping, so we’re training that way, we’re working that way.
“Derbies do magical things.”
Hull FC take on Hull KR at 12:30 on Friday, 29 March at Craven Park, live on Sky Sports and free on SuperLeague+ as part of Rivals Round in Super League.
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