Hull FC boss John Cartwright has hailed his right edge for the way they nullified the threat of Super League top try scorer Maika Sivo on Sunday afternoon.
Sivo has been in rampant form since making his debut for Leeds Rhinos last month, with the winger scoring 11 tries in his first four appearances for the club. That tally includes the four he scored against Hull KR in Las Vegas, while he got a hat-trick in the win over Castleford Tigers, too.
However, he was wrapped up and frustrated at the MKM Stadium on Sunday as Hull became the first side to keep the Fijian at bay. In fact, Sivo didn’t even go close to scoring on the day, with the Leeds’ two tries coming through second phase kicks inside. He made just 89 metres in the game, too.
That’s down to the way Hull handled him, with Tom Briscoe, Arthur Romano, Connor Bailey and Jake Arthur giving him little to no room for manoeuvre when he had the ball in his hands. Of course, Cartwright has coached against the winger on numerous occasions down under, but he believes his Hull side handled him better than any side he’d seen in the NRL.
“I’ve been watching Maika for a long, long time and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a side handle him that well,” Cartwright said after Hull’s 24-16 win. “He was searching for opportunities on that edge and Arthur Romano, Tommy Briscoe and Jake just kept cutting down his time on the ball.
“As good as Maika is, that’s as good as I’ve seen any side handle him.”
The win was Hull’s second of the season, bringing an end to a run of four losses on the spin, including the defeat at Leigh Leopards in the Cup.
The challenge then is to build on it and that starts with the visit of Catalans Dragons on Sunday afternoon before they make the trip across the River Hull to Craven Park on Good Friday.
“Always the challenge,” Cartwright added. “It’s been the same since I’ve been here. We’ve struggled a bit with consistency so that never changes.”
Luke Robinson sacked, Hull KR struggling and why it could actually be Warrington Wolves’ year? – click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
