Rich HarrisonApril 3, 2010 at 7:42pm
Subject: The trials and tribulations of being thousands of miles away from a Hull Derby!
Well, it's been a funny sort of Easter weekend..... and to be honest its been like that ever since Hull and Rovers have been back in the same division. As most of you will know, I emigrated in 2003 to lovely Sunny Sydney, and apart from a couple of holidays back, this is where I stayed.
It gets hard sometimes, I do miss family, friends and Twiglets (I really begrudge paying $10 a bag for them - even if they are a taste sensation) and of course I miss my beloved Hull FC.
In the two trips back, I have managed to see Hull win the 2005 Challenge Cup final - flying back home the day before and back to Aus the day after - not missing a day of work in the process, and a couple of weeks ago I saw the pre season "friendly" between 'Ull and Rovers.
So it was a combination of sadness, trepidation and excitement that I sat down at the PC on Friday night to watch the game via FB
Sadness cos I wish i was there, trepidation cos we were playing away and we've been woeful on the road recently and excitement because I've been jittery all week and couldn't wait to see how we went. So Jittery in fact that i really didn't enjoy the two NRL games on telly immediately before Hull kicked off. So jittery, I didn't enjoy the seafood buffet at the BBQ we atttended on Friday Afternoon - and thats not like me AT ALL!
So with a bag of Lime and Pepper Chips (Crisps to those back in 'Ull) and a 6 pack of Pure Blonde - it has to be pure blonde, if i sell the stuff i really should drink it don't you think? - I settled in for a rollercoaster ride. My wife saw the writing on the wall from the off - she retired to bed after the first scream of "Gerremonside you blind ". I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly apologise for my language, demeanour and behaviour, but its only 160 minutes a year hun - unless we draw them in the cup!

The Game itself was a typical 1000kph Derby match, a morass of mistakes, niggle and penalties. and when we went behind after about 4 minutes I really did fear the worst. Hull this season have been a tad Jekyll and Hyde to say the least, if we get our noses in front we are difficult to run down - but when we go behind we still seem to get very disillusioned and lose focus by throwing the ball around too much and trying impossible plays to catch up.
This time however my 17 Black and White Heroes (copyright 2005 Cardiff!) stood up to be counted. Our defence - a couple of unfortunate slips aside - was the stuff of legend. At one point in the second hlaf the Red and White cheating scumbags had fully 36 tackles on our line and we didn't let them in.

Talking of Cheating Red and White scumbags, we had to put up with late, head high and plain off the ball tackles.....with Cockayne (a convicted thug who should not be playing any form of professional sport) and Murrell being the main culprits.Some bloke on Radio Humberside (possibly Gwillym Lloyd - and he'll get this note, so apologies if it wasn't!) said he thought that Murrell "could be another Norton", on that evidence it's Graham Norton he's talking about!

They were obviously scared of Lauaki too, tried to niggle him from the second he went on in the hope he'd get sent off. I thought it was brave of Agar to leave him out of that final 10 mins. Whiting looks like a man playing for his future, he's been immense this season in my opinion. Long and Horne look like they are forging a great partnership - even if they sometimes tend to get in each others way a little. But I thought that our new aquisitions really took the cake. O'Meley was again a tower of strength, Fitzgibbon was yet again a total workhorse and I thought Tansey is starting to look the finished article at Full Back.
A tight game, but a win! More that that though.... apart from our defence, we played pretty badly and still won. Rovers played just about as well as I think they are capable and still lost. That sort of thing can dent a sides confidence - I hope it does more than dent it!
So it was gone 2 am when I finally climbed the stairs to Bedfordshire to rest my by now drunken head on the pillow and try to allow my adrenaline to subside - was 4am by the time i got to sleep. My 3 yr old Daughter burst into our room 2 hours later asking why the easter bunny hadn't been, complaining that a kookaburra had woken her up and finally asking if she could please have some toast and watch Hannah Montana..... So tired, hungover and with a head full of Hannah Montana songs i plod on, secure in the knowledge that i am walking just a little taller today.

So to Monday and home to Warrington, it'd be just like Hull to put in a woeful performance and have the defence of liquified jelly. I hope we tough out another win, and make no mistake it will be tough, Warrington are no pushovers . The two biggest and hardest packs may well just cancel each other out, then it'll be down to the halves and the threequarters and thats where I have more confidence this year..... My tip is that Whiting will again have the game of his life and score two tries in a 24-14 win... you read it here first!

Old Faithfully,

Rich

hope HDM use some parts in write up next week spot on ...

[QUOTE] Murrell could be another Norton [QUOTE]


No chance, he was Matchless.

one of the best write ups i've read so far! watch yerself wilf!

Another great write up by Rich. I remember his story of attending the 2005 cup final which was a classic.
Met him once when he was working at the Balmain Leagues Club. Walked in in my FC shirt and to my amazement the doorman started singin Old Faithful.

Enjoyed that thanks for sharing Chewie

The oldest and best known sporting anthem in sport!!!!!