Golden times : Sat Jun 15, 2019 7:36 am
..says Adrian Durham.talkSport presenter Adrian Durham's impassioned plea to Hull FC fans: "These are golden times"
The drive time presenter explains why Hull supporters should be embracing the team Lee Radford has built
Into the last 10 minutes on Thursday at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle and Castleford Tigers were pushing on their left, enjoying back-to-back sets, desperate to get back on level terms, with Hull FC leading 24-18.
But then Greg Eden couldn’t collect the quick pass, and Hull were away. Ratu Naulago powered up the wing, stronger than the wind off the Humber.
Cas players plodded back dejected in the background, as they were left for dead by Albert Kelly’s run in support of his winger. Kelly got his reward, the pass inside, and off he sped for the try that sealed his hat-trick, and nailed the points.
The best moment of that try was still to come though. It was the sight of pure joy on the face of coach Lee Radford as he celebrated with his friend and colleague Andy Last up in the stand. I’m an FC fan and I absolutely love that the coach of my team enjoyed that try as much as I did.
We all know it’s been a crazy season. Hull lost the first two including that agonising and undeserved opening round defeat in East Hull. There has also been a big home defeat to Catalans, and 50+ points conceded in shocking defeats to Warrington, Saints and the Giants at Magic.
I’m watching my team from afar, of course. But that means I’m not in that intimate rugby league bubble that is the wonderful city of Hull, so I get a more objective view.
There are noises on social media that give me a flavour for how some fans are feeling, and occasionally I’ve seen some negativity towards Radford in the aftermath of those batterings.
It’s hard to judge how loud and widespread those negative noises have been among the huge FC fanbase, and I’m fairly certain it’s a tiny minority.
But in case it has crossed the mind of any FC fan this season that Radders isn’t the man, I want to say this.
Never in my near 30 years supporting Hull FC, have I felt happier with the coach of my club. Radders is the real deal.
I love his honesty – admitting he doesn’t know why Magic was so utterly terrible. None of us know, do we? But I’m very confident Radford and his staff will be working his wotsits off to rectify it.
Steve McNamara once told me that when he was a boy he couldn’t cope if his beloved FC lost a game. He’d be in a bad mood for ages and sometimes the tears would flow.
I feel the same way now and I’m 50 years old. That’s what FC can do to you. Don’t get me wrong, I hate it when Hull lose, so I’m not excusing the hammerings or shrugging them off easily – far from it. But not once has it ever entered my head that Radders should go.
What about when Hull get it right? They are a joy to watch: stunning running, dummies and offloads, tries to die for. When Jake, Albert, Marc, Shauly and the rest put it all together they’re unstoppable. Connor is at another level now, arguably the most talented player in this country, in Super League. That’s happened on Radford’s watch.
So if anyone has pondered whether Hull would benefit from a change of coach, have a word with yourself.
Two Challenge Cups guarantee him the job for as long as he wants it in my eyes. This season as I write this, FC are third and in another Challenge Cup semi final. I’m loving life as a Hull FC fan more than ever.
So I’ll drop a message to a rugby league-loving colleague at talkSPORT right now, and remind him how wrong he was when we were drinking at the White Hart in the Old Town a while ago, and he was telling me how Radders was finished, Hull were no longer a force, the Cup wins were lucky, and Danny Houghton is overrated.
How wrong he was! And I’ll watch the Cas victory again on Sky Go, and love every try. As Eden said afterwards, FC wanted it a bit more. How proud does that make you feel as a Hull fan?
There will be more ups and downs this season, FC might do the double or win nothing. But whatever happens, Radford has earned our support.
So let’s all stay positive, chest puffed out, and feel proud of our club and our coach. These are golden times to be a Hull FC fan.
