Lee Radford joked with the press after Hull shocked Huddersfield
Last Updated: 12/02/15 11:01am
Hull FC boss Lee Radford was afforded an opportunity to poke fun at himself after his side beat Huddersfield 19-0 in the opening round of the 2015 First Utility Super League.
Radford was pre-season favourite to be the first Super League coach to lose his job in 2015 according to bookmakers, and the win over the Giants prompted the coach to make light of the prediction.
"I think I'm second favourite now to get the sack," Radford said.
"I thought without being spectacular, we warranted the result. We were very gritty and everyone was astute with what we delivered. For me, probably the most pleasing aspect was the team performance from one to 17."
It was six years ago that Hull first won at the John Smith's Stadium and two tries from full-back Jamie Shaul in seven minutes during the second half gave them a shock victory.
Though the main spark for Hull on the day was scrum-half Marc Sneyd, who showed that last season’s superb showing for Castleford Tigers was no fluke as he kicked seven points with the boot and set up two of the three tries.
After Hull fell victim to losing games in the dying minutes throughout last season, Radford was particularly pleased with the way his side negotiated the final exchanges in the match.
Pleasing
"It was good to see the way we saw the game out," Radford said. "Our game management was pleasing.
"Marc doesn't pay much attention to anything, he's the most laid-back person I've ever met and that's a really good thing because pressure doesn't seem to get to the bloke."
Vice-captain and hooker Danny Houghton was also singled by the coach.
"James Roby was good for St Helens on Friday but Danny Houghton showed he is just as important to us," he added.
Giants coach Paul Anderson, on the other hand, was unhappy as his side were nilled for the first time since 2011.
"We never really gave ourselves a chance," he said.
"We lacked a bit of cohesion but I thought for 60 minutes there was nothing in it. Hull were a bit more clinical than we were. They took their three chances.
"We lost a bit of patience towards (the end) and there was some frustration coming in.
"I thought defensively for big parts of the game we looked alright but offensively we looked rusty.
"It was maybe a reality check. Don't forget we played one trial game against Halifax."