It was now just a pride thing for both Hull FC and the Catalans Dragons as they brought down the final curtain on the 2024 regular season with a game which the Dragons needed to win by a margin of sixteen points to finish ahead of the Rhinos in seventh spot, while Hull FC needed to win, draw or lose by less that fifty-four points to avoid the ignominy of finishing at the bottom of the pile.
The Airlie Birds have been woeful in recent weeks and the likelihood was of them conceding another cricket score, but the Dragons form of late has also been poor and has seen them drop outside the top six, and out of the play-offs.
There was impossible scenario of a Dragons win by 182 or more points which would see them push St Helens out of the six on a superior points difference, but not even the 2024 Hull FC are that bad.
Incredibly it was Hull FC who opened the scoring on four minutes when Lewis Martin leapt to collect a Morgan Smith kick to the corner and drop over the line for a four pointer. Jordan Lane was unable to add the conversion as Hull were without a recognised kicker in their side.
The Hull supporters were scratching their heads as to where this side had been hiding all season as they were totally dominant in the opening exchanges. On sixteen another cross-field Smith kick was taken by Martin and passed back through hands to Danny Houghton who went over to score, but the video referee determined that the retiring hooker was offside at the kick.
Three minutes before the interval the Dragons silenced the FC supporters when late replacement for Mike McMeeken, Chris Satae, took a short ball and crashed over the line to make the scoreline 4-4. Arthur Mourge added the conversion to put his side into the lead, despite them being second best for most of the game.
With tries either side of the interval, the Dragons went from six behind to six ahead. Three minutes after the restart Matthieu Laguerre stretched for the line after taking a Mourgue short pass. Mourgue was wide with the conversion.
Mourge added a penalty goal on fifty-nine after Hull were penalised forty from their own line. A minute later the Dragons full back was on hand to break through the Hull line after a one-two with his skipper Tomkins, diving in under the posts and adding the conversion for 18-4.
The Dragons completed the scoring for the game on seventy-five when Tom Davies leapt for the line in the right corner to ground, one-handed, before being bundled into touch. Mourgue added the touchline conversion for a comfortable away win.
Hull FC avoided the size of defeat which would have ensured that they ended the season in last place in the table. Under the IMG grading system, it was inevitable that London Broncos would not be playing Super League in 2025, and now they are confirmed as finishing the season on bottom there was positional justification of their relegation. The Dragons grabbed and end of season win to go ahead of the Rhinos and into seventh spot in the table, but today’s game concludes a very disappointing end to the season for the side from France.
Hull FC: Moy, Barron, Tuimavave, Westerman, Martin (T), Smith, Kemp, Ese’ese, Houghton, Gardiner, Lane (0/1 G), Cartwright, Aydin. Subs: Ashworth, Balmforth, Laidlaw, Jebson. 18th Man: Ruan.
Catalans Dragons: Tomkins, Davies (T), Smith, Laguerre (T), Yaha, Mourgue (T, 3/4 G), Fages, Navarrete, Da Costa, Bousquet, Sims, Sironen, Garcia. Subs: Satae (T), Rougé, Dezaria, Wallace. 18th Man: Séguier.
Half-Time: 4-6.
Full-Time: 4-24.
Score Progression: 4-0, 4-4, 4-6 : HT: 4-10, 4-12, 4-16, 4-18, 4-22, 4-24 : FT.
Lead Exchanges: Hull FC – Square - Catalans.
Referee: Tom Grant.
