Super League coach says social media is affecting his players’ performances

After a seventh defeat in a row last night, Tony Smith spoke to the press after his Hull FC side lost 34-10 to Leeds Rhinos.

He underlined his disappointment:

“Disappointed, it was another game where we had a little more field position and territory than some of the other games that we have been struggling in but it still comes down to converting those periods in the game into points.

“The lack of converting that and putting pressure on our opponents and instead letting them come down the other end and we succumb to very little pressure is disappointing.

“It’s tough, we are doing it tough at the moment as I say to the supporters but it is tough for the people involved and participating.

“I can see effort in there and the way they are trying but some of it is just not coming off for us at the moment.”

Picking up on that notion, he emphasised that his side are trying really hard:

“We are all trying really hard at the moment and it is not easy, it is not easy to be a really good Super League team because every week you are playing against a good team and if you are off it and they are running okay.

“These guys are running okay, they have had a few glitches but have been over turning teams all yous were predicting at the start of the year to win the comp and they have beating those teams.

“So we are a bit down on our luck against a side competing at the top end and next week we go against another team everyone is saying will win the comp because they have the best team on paper.

“Another tough game. What do we do? We roll our selves up.”

He went on to say however that social media is affecting his players and their confidence:

“For anyone who doubts, go into that dressing room, there is pain there. They are genuinely trying really hard. Everyone is just not pulling in the same direction.

“Sometimes we just need to calm down and it is hard especially for young people. I don’t read social media but some of them do and I am sure they get effected by that, I am sure that the confidence and spirits are affected and their doubts.

“When people tell you that you are not so good, you start to believe it. It is a tough one.”