Hull FC beat Hull KR 36-12 to go top of Super League table
Last Updated: 15/07/16 10:02am
Hull FC moved back to the top of the Super League table with a convincing 36-12 win over Hull KR that also consigned their fierce rivals to the Middle 8s.
Hull FC scored six tries in all with Mark Minichiello and Steve Michaels both scoring twice and Danny Houghton and Liam Watts also crossing the whitewash.
Marc Sneyd converted all six tries and had a huge influence on the game with his crossfield kicking taking control of the game for his side after a nervy start.
Hull KR were poor with their sets and missed several opportunities in the first half but did get two tries late in the second half through Adam Walker and Iain Thornley which Josh Mantellato converted.
After suffering surprise back-to-back defeats, Hull answered their critics in emphatic fashion to displace Wigan at the top while the other beneficiaries were Wakefield, whose place in the top eight is guaranteed ahead of their trip to Catalans Dragons on Saturday.
Not even the shock re-appearance of goalkicking winger Mantellato, three weeks ahead of schedule, could help Hull KR, who must fight for survival in the Qualifiers for a second successive season.
Yet there was little hint of the one-sided nature of the game after Rovers dominated the opening exchanges and the visitors ought to have taken the lead.
Winger Ken Sio dropped Albert Kelly's inch-perfect kick to the corner with a try beckoning and second rower James Donaldson crossed the line only to be brought back for a forward pass.
Hull were far more clinical and never looked back after scoring two tries in a five-minute spell.
Prop Liam Watts charged over after taking a smart pass from hooker Danny Houghton, who then read Sneyd's kick off the side of his boot to collect and touch down for his side's second try.
Centre Mahe Fonua ought to have added a third shortly afterwards when he dropped Jordan Abdull's pass with the line breached but Hull duly increased their lead on 23 minutes when Sneyd's grubber kick deceived Kelly and second rower Minichiello collected the ricochet to touch down for his first try.
Sneyd kicked his third conversion to make it 18-0 and, although he caused some anxiety among the home fans when he went off after taking a knock three minutes before the interval, he was back for the start of the second half.
Hull KR lost Donaldson to a heavy knock midway through the first half and they lost their way for the rest of the game as the Black and Whites continued to dominate at will.
Minichiello demonstrated a devastating combination of pace and neat footwork to go over for his second try and right winger Michaels took Fonua's pass to cross for Hull's fifth of the night.
Sneyd, by then switched to full-back with veteran Leon Pryce partnering Abdull in the halves, maintained his unerring accuracy with a touchline conversion to make it 30-0 before prop Adam Walker charged through a rare chink in the Hull defence for a consolation try.
The impressive Fonua sent Michaels away for his second try, to which Sneyd added his sixth goal from as many attempts, but the badly-beaten Robins had the final say when centre Iain Thornley went 50 metres for a try and Mantellato kicked his second conversion.
