Being without a win since the last weekend in June wasn’t the ideal way for Hull FC to prepare for a Monday night home game against a high-flying St Helens side who were looking to maintain pressure on minor premiers elect, the Catalans Dragons.

A loss for FC could see them drop below archrivals Hull KR, depending on how their fared in their home game against the Dragons on the other side of the city, whereas either outcome would not have any effect on Saints league position.

Saints comfortably won the first meeting between the two sides back in early June and the bookies and pundits all tipped them to do the double.

Hull FC were looking to consolidate their newly acquired fourth spot in the Super League table with a home victory over the arch enemy, Leeds Rhinos, when the two sides met for a Thursday evening game at the MKM Stadium two months after their last meeting, which ended in a six point Hull victory.

The Rhinos saw the return of Mikolaj Oledzki and Zane Tetevano as well as ex-skipper Luke Gale who was dropped in controversial circumstances last week.

Marc Sneyd was pulling on his Hull FC shirt for the 250^th time for Brett Hodgson’s side.

The home side were narrow favourites to triumph, but the bookies had given the visitors just a two-point start on the coupon, and the pundits were struggling to choose a winner.

On the day that the rugby league world was stunned by the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand from this year’s World Cup, tonight’s Superleague encounter between the Huddersfield Giants and Hull FC had somewhat slipped under the radar.

Both sides knew that a win would do nothing for their respective league positions but for Hull FC it would consolidate their fourth position in the table and keep Warrington in their sights in terms of win percentage while a win for the Giants could be the final nail in the coffin for Leigh Centurion’s season and edge the home side to safety.

The bookies were expecting a close game, the visitor’s slight favourites with the Giants being given a four-point start on the handicap coupon with both sides being decimated by injuries and COVID issues.

A week after Saints and Hull FC met in their round eight Superleague encounter the two sides went toe to toe again as they faced up in the semi final of the Challenge Cup at the Leigh Sports Village with the Airlie Birds looking to avenge their 34-16 loss and take their place at Wembley Stadium for the final.

Hull had Andre Savelio in for Joe Cator and changed Cam Scott for Jordan Johnstone on the bench.

Saints gave a debut to Dan Norman, off the bench in place of Agnatius Paasi while Tommy Makinson was back for Mark Percival and Regan Grace for Josh Simm.

Few but the most ardent of Airlie Birds fans could see past a Saints win, the bookies included, but the Challenge Cup is a strange beast.

The Leeds Rhinos welcomed fans back to Headingley for the first time in 444 days as they hosted the old enemy in the form of the Black and Whites of Hull FC.

The Rhinos escaped with the points last time out thanks to a golden point win over Wakefield Trinity but for the evening kick-off they welcome back Richie Myler and Zane Tetevano, the later after a four game suspension.

Hull declared Adam Swift fit to play after getting injured last week and Bureta Faraimo made his return.

A big win for FC would lift them into the top four but they knew that the Rhinos were also looking to gain a couple of places if they could get a convincing victory in front of their much smaller than usual home crowd.

One of the biggest stories of the close season, the capture of Ian Watson as coach of the Huddersfield Giants from the Salford Red Devils, had reached its judgement day as the Giants took on Hull FC at Emerald Headingley in the first of Sunday’s double headers as they looked for a winning start for their new coach Brett Hodgson.

After the two sides finished either side of half-way in the 2020 table, FC were slight favourites with the bookies but with the Giants getting just a two-point start on the coupon there was very little to choose between the two sides on paper.

A team announcement shock was that Aiden Sezer was missing for the Giants with a niggling injury that wasn’t worth the risk.

They did debut six new players while Hull FC fielded a very similar side to that which finished the 2020 season, just new signing Josh Reynolds getting his debut in black & white after signing from Wests Tigers.

In this most extraordinary of seasons we’ve finally made it within five games of the end of the season as the Superleague 2020 play-off got underway at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium in Warrington where sixth placed Hull FC were the visitors.

Up until a week ago FC were outside the, then four, play-off places and making up the numbers but a truncation of the regular season and extension of end of season competition to six teams gave them a shot at the grand final, to be held at their home ground in a fortnights time.

Warrington ended the regular season in third and were strong favourites ahead of the game, having been given an eight-point handicap on the coupon.

But this was knock-out rugby league and we’ve learnt this season that it is almost impossible to pick a winner.

Hull FC and the Castleford Tigers took the opportunity of Cup Final weekend to re-arrange their round nine game in Super League at the KCOM Stadium.

The sides were seventh and eighth in the table, a win would take FC above the Huddersfield Giants into sixth place but a win for the Tigers wouldn’t be enough for them to jump above their opponents on the new percentage win system.

It has been a disappointing 2020 for both sides and they went into the game knowing that a loss would probably signal the end of their outside chances of making the play off places.

It really was the last chance saloon and the drinks had been poured.

Leeds Rhinos were scheduled too play the Castleford Tigers in a Thursday night clash but coronavirus issues forced a late change with Hull FC stepping into the breach on what was supposedly their bye round to travel to Headingley for what was scheduled to be their home game in round eighteen.

All credit to the Airlie Birds for stepping in at short notice and to the Rhinos for facing a different opposition to the one that they had been planning for.

A win for the Rhinos would lift them back into the top four, jumping back in front of the Catalans Dragons but Hull FC knew that a win would not help them in their league position.

The Rhinos were massive favourites for the win, Hull FC robbed of players due to their own coronavirus problems and their late notice of the game.

The bookies and pundits couldn’t see below a Leeds win, FC being given a twenty-point start on the coupon.

The seventh and eight placed sides met at the Mend-a-hose Jungle in the final game of round fourteen as the Castleford Tigers hosted Hull FC.

Whoever won the game would finish the night in seventh place, snapping at the heels of the sides above them in the race for the top four while the losers would be virtually out of the race for the play-offs.

There was no Challenge Cup distraction for these two sides with their respective coaches naming the strongest sides that they could as they pushed for the victory.

The Tigers were slight favourites with the bookies, FC being given a two point start on the coupon, but with both sides strangers to the win in recent rounds, it was anyone’s game.

A coronavirus ravaged Warrington Wolves gave debuts to Leilani Latu, Ellis Robson and Ellis Longstaff as they were without the services of seven regular first teamers due to self-isolation measures.

They elected to play the game when they could have postponed, their effort to stop the season descending into farce.

A win for the Wolves would lift them into second spot, level on points with St Helens who had just demolished the Huddersfield Giants.

A win for Hull, unless it was by more than forty-eight points would not make any difference to their league position but it would maintain their push for a top four place should the sides above them slip up over the coming weeks.

The Wolves were slight favourites, but FC had only been given a two point start on the coupon as the bookies and pundits thought that the enforced changes would make it a competitive game.

Neither Leeds Rhinos nor Hull FC will have greeted the announcement of the opening round of Super League with much delight.

The Rhinos have a great home record against Hull but know that Lee Radfords’ side are much fancied for an excellent 2020 season with a fericious looking pack after their closed season recruitment.

It was the second game of the Emerald Headingley double-header, and the home side were the favourites with the bookies, despite the terraces being bolstered with plenty of Castleford supporters who were lending their voice to the visitors.

Expectations were high for both sides with the Rhinos looking for a much better season than their last couple, while Hull FC were seeking the consistency that they lacked throughout the 2019 season.

All that stood between Hull FC and a guaranteed play off place was a win at the Castleford Tigers as they travelled to West Yorkshire in the opening round twenty-six game.

FC came into the game two points ahead of the Tigers and daren't contemplate a loss which would see Castleford go above them on points difference with just one round remaining.

The home side had Matt Cook back in the side for the first time since July, while the visitors welcomed back Albert Kelly and Ratu Naulago.

On paper it really was too close to call, and would depend on which Hull FC side had made the journey, the one that beat Castleford the last time they met, or the one which crashed to struggling Huddersfield Giants last time out.

Fouth placed Wigan Warriors travelled to third placed Hull FC as they looked to close the gap to just two points as the race for the play-off places hots up.

A win for Hull would lift them six points clear of the Warriors and aid their claim to a top five finish while Wigan knew that defeat could see them end the weekend outside the play-off places.

Lee Radford juggled the side which missed out on Wembley last weekend with Masi Matongo replacing the injured Sika Manu.

Adrian Lam could call on the services of Sean O’Loughlin and Joe Burgess while Thomas Leuluai passed a late fitness test to take up his spot in the line-up.

FC won by a single point in extra time the last time that the two sides met, way back in February.

Two sides looking for some winning form met at the KCOM Stadium as roller coaster side Hull FC took on a London Broncos side who know that every point is absolutely crucial for their survival in Super League.

Hull FC are still third in the table despite two consecutive defeats, however, a loss tonight could have seen them end the weekend in fifth place.

London Broncos were bottom of the table but if they could get the victory then they would go level on points with the Rhinos and the Giants and lift themselves above Hull’s city neighbours KR into eleventh.

FC were without the injured Albert Kelly and Andre Savelio, while Danny Ward selected Sam Davis, Matty Fleming and James Cunningham for his run on side.

The sides placed third and fourth in Super League had a massive play-off four pointer in a sunny Perpignan.

A win for the Dragons would lift them above the Airlie Birds and into third spot, while a victory for the visitors would enable them to open up a four point gap over fourth and a six point margin over fifth spot, making them the clear favourites to secure a top five finish.

Steve McNamara’s side had Sam Moa and Michael McIlorum back in their side, but were without talisman Tony Gigot and the suspended Jason Baitieri.

Sika Manu and Josh Griffin returned for FC, as did Josh Bowden who was rested last time out, but Mark Minichiello was absent with a groin strain.

There was little to choose between the sides on paper, it just depended on which side would blow the hottest in the French sunshine.

Two sides, both with an excellent recent Coral Challenge Cup pedigree, were the first to clash in the quarter finals of the 2019 competition as the holders Catalans Dragons travelled to Hull to take on the Black and Whites side which lifted the trophies in the two previous years.

Hull overcame the Castleford Tigers in the last round, while the Dragons demolished lower league opposition from Doncaster.

But the sides had very different fortunes last weekend at the Magic event in Liverpool with the Dragons recording a good victory over Wakefield Trinity, while FC crashed horrendously at the hands of the Huddersfield Giants.

The two sides are currently sat third and fourth in the league table, the French side with a two point advantage.

The bookies had made the home side slight favourites, despite last weeks result, but expected that the holders wouldn’t relinquish their grip on the trophy without a fight.

For the remaining eight Super League clubs the road to Wembley starts here as the sixth round of the competition now sees the entry of the sides who finished in the top eight slots last season.

Two of those met at the KC Stadium tonight as Hull FC and the Castleford Tigers went head to head for a quarter final place.

The two sides are currently separated by two league positions and two league points but both sides were beaten last weekend and the Tigers came into the game on the back of three straight defeats and have only three wins in their last ten outings.

The home side were the favourites with the bookies, thanks to their recent form and higher league position, but this was the Cup and everything was to play for.

The opening fixture of round two saw the Castleford Tigers travel to an embattled Hull FC as they looked to follow up on last weeks opening round win over the Catalans Dragons.

FC were looking for their first win in thirteen outings, stretching back to the 29th June 2018, and coach Radford was delighted to welcome back England half-back Jake Connor after he missed the opening loss at Hull KR through suspension.

He also had Hakim Miloudi and Joe Westerman in his starting thirteen, and Micky Paea on the bench.

The Tigers had just a couple of changes with Alex Foster replacing Mike McMeeken, who was ruled out with concussion.

Two sides with very different needs met in the Thursday fixture at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield.

  The two points on offer would lift the Giants into seventh place in the Super League and push the Leeds Rhinos into a middle eights position.

Hull FC would remain in touch with the top four if they could get the win, but a loss could see them with five points to make up to get into the play off positions.

Danny Brough was back from another suspension for the Giants while Hull FC were still suffering from a massive injury and suspension list.

Although the Airlie Birds were the bookies favourites, the promise was of a close match.