At this moment in time it has to be Radford. The transformation from what Hull were achieving last season (forget about the previous
to this is amazing.
I was one of the ones who wanted him out last season. I wasn't a banner waver though or a petition writer. I was vocal on social media and frankly who could blame anyone of us. We have had to live with so many false dawns and promises over the past 10 years, that frankly we had grown very intolerant of anything that was coming out of the club. James Clark the media director needs knighting for the dross he had to write knowing full well we were delivering so little on the pitch.
When you hear the owner saying he has 100% faith in Lee intermingled with Lee giving after match press conferences saying he didn't know what the problem or the answer was then surely you can see where we were coming from.
This season started well with convincing pre season. Lots of the usual hype from the club and then some great victories. Salford (I don't know who was predicting them to finish bottom, certainly no one in the media, but thats an aside) and away at Catalans had us all starting to sit up and take notice. Then defeats to Cas and Wigan at home. After what was frankly a disasterous season at home last season, brought home all those doubts again. We then went to Widnes and frankly we were a disgrace. However much Widnes played well that night we were awful.
I personally felt we were totally out coached that night, by a coach who gets little or no credit outside of Naughton Park. I was furious as were many many fans. We had been found out. Then we hear that Radford has been locked out of the dressing room. Player power coming back we thought. Boy have we had our fair share of that over the years.
Well it would seem it was positive player power. Ever since then we have proceeded to go on a run that even in our dreams we wouldn't have believed possible. Is that down to Radford? Is it down to some amazing senior players. Ellis, Minichello, Pryce, Pritchard et al? I think its all the above. There is a unity about the squad from the coach down to the tea lady.
Yes we haven't had an "injury crisis" as such. We have had injuries. But is that luck or is it conditioning. When we have had injuries we have had players from the squad step in and continue the same great work of the injured player. We had two players go on international duty and miss a cup match away at St Helens. Unheard of. A big gamble we thought. Did we miss them? Of course we did but the players that stepped upto the plate performed.
Hull FC so far this season (we have won nothing and I still think we won't. It's a defence mechanism of mine) have developed across the club as a whole. Give me a better example of a club using the cap to its full potential. No real susperstars taking up massive % of the cap to the detriment of the rest of the squad. Give me a better balanced squad. Yes we might miss Houghton if he was injured. But Washbrook has been exceptional this season and can cover that spot very well. Sneyd. See his Widnes perfomance. Awful. Yes we'd miss him but I'd have faith in his replacements filling in and performing the role well. We might miss his goal kicking.
Shaul missed the Leeds match. If he'd been there we'd have won I have no doubt. He would have been with big Frank when he burst through. I can't guarantee the pass from Frank though. See Friday
We have a team that is bonded. Playing for each other and balanced. That comes down to a whole host of factors. And for now if that means we have Radford overseeing it and taking the plaudits then so be it. He will be the first to thank Andy Last, Richard Horne, his conditioning staff, Adam Pearson, the players (now without the less professional eliment. Nuff said there) and I suspect the main man in it all Motu Tony.
So yes I an many thousands are eating humble pie. We didn't bel13ve for many years, and who can blame us. BUT right now we are enjoying a great ride. If you all want to call us fickle, crack on. But I can easily point to fickleness amongst all of you.
It's still only June. Nothing won until August.
Enjoy your seasons. I'm enjoying ours at long long last.