Reality check for Hull FC, injury blow, McNamara in attendance and more Hull FC v Toulouse Olympique talking points

Hull FC came crashing back down to earth after their huge win over Castleford Tigers with Andy Last’s side losing to Toulouse Olympique at home.

The visitors were valiant in their defensive efforts as they defended set after set on their own line in the second half but the blunt Hull FC attack failed to break through, with the score finishing 12-4 as it had been at half time.

Olly Ashall-Bott opened the scoring after five minutes before former Hull FC man Joe Cator double the lead after only ten minutes. Hull FC slowly got back into the game and found a foothold but Tom Briscoe’s try in the 32nd minute were their only points as they fell to a sixth Super League defeat.

It means they remain ninth in the table, four points shy of the top six, whilst Toulouse moved ahead of Castleford Tigers into 12th.

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Hull FC versus Toulouse Olympique talking points

Misfiring Hull FC

The result alone was enough to see that Hull FC were far from the same team who ran up 50 points last week against Castleford, however, there were several key moments that just made no sense.

One of those was when Jake Arthur drilled the ball into touch when trailing with 40 seconds of the first half to play, rather than put up a high bomb to try and challenge for a try.

Arthur had earlier kicked out at mid-field and it seemed that he and fellow half Aidan Sezer just had a disconnect, with the Black and Whites failing to break through in the second half despite countless sets in good ball.

Andy Last now has plenty to rethink during the upcoming break with Hull FC facing a spell of three away games on the bounce, especially if he’s to get the fans back onside with the MKM Stadium a chorus of boos at full time.

Houles justified

Sylvain Houles made some major changes to his side with the biggest of those being Jake Shorrocks in the halves over Thomas Lacans, whilst he also brought Joe Cator back in and started him over captain Anthony Marion.

Cator would score early on against his former club whilst Shorrocks’ kicking game helped earn valuable territory for the Olympians at key times. For a side that had lost seven games on the spin prior to this, the changes were a big punt and the head coach ended up being more than justified.

Injury blow for Black and Whites

Hull FC welcomed back Joe Batchelor this week but named him on the bench with the impressive Connor Bailey retaining his starting role and deservedly so, however, his afternoon ended very prematurely.

Bailey picked up a shoulder injury and was subbed off for Batchelor after just five minutes with the ex-York man seen on the sideline icing his shoulder and with his arm in a sling. For a side who are already playing Zak Hardaker in the second-row due to injuries, it’s a major worry that one of the club’s standouts could now be sidelined for some time.

Bourouh ban concern?

The Hull FC hooker was perhaps lucky to avoid a sin bin after his late shot on Jake Shorrocks as the Toulouse playmaker kicked to clear.

Bourouh certainly made contact with the head of Shorrocks, as highlighted by the huge egg-shaped swelling that formed on the kicker’s head, but the Hull FC man was also checked for a HIA.

Medics attended both men who were cleared to play on before eventually going off for their respective HIAs, which they passed, but the Match Review Panel may well look differently on the incident.

The hooker is carrying over one penalty point from 2025 so a Grade C charge would be enough to land him a ban.

McNamara in attendance

Incoming Hull FC head coach Steve McNamara was a notable face in attendance at the MKM Stadium but he wasn’t there in any official capacity relating to his upcoming role, but instead watching on alongside a number of his teammates from the club’s 1991 team.

That team won the premiership and they paraded the pitch before the match with their victory over Widnes being historic given the incredible roster that Widnes had, including Martin Offiah and Jonathan Davies.

A massive result for @TOXIII 👊#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/rqVHan5RH3

— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) May 3, 2026