Potter - We looked tired

Airlie Birds' misery compounded by yet more injuries

Last updated: 6th July 2008

mick potter

Potter: Happy with win

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Les Catalans coach Mick Potter admitted he was relieved to come away with the two points from his side's trip to the KC Stadium.

The Dragons recorded a seventh win on their travels to move only a point back of St Helens and Leeds in the battle for top spot in Super League.

The 30-18 victory over the Black and Whites completed an impressive week in England for the French outfit following their hard-fought win at Wakefield on Tuesday night.

However, Potter is still refusing to get too carried away and felt his players showed signs of tiredness after a testing period of fixtures.

Scramble

"You'd rather have the two points than be trying to scramble them at the end of the year," he said.

"We haven't put ourselves in a bad position this week by grabbing the two. Our for and against isn't as favourable as it is for Leeds and St Helens but it's nice to have the points right now. We'll see where we end up.

"I was happy to come to Hull and get two points. I thought Hull were very good in aspects of their game and they tested us out across the park. I'm happy to come here and get a couple.

"If we play like that next week, it will be difficult for us, as we looked a little bit tired in parts.

"I don't know if it was a culmination of the French players having three games in the space of nine days or two away games in a week but we tired."

Hull coach Richard Agar felt the hosts had been "aimless and erratic" in a first half that saw them concede two tries to trail 12-0 at the break.

"I thought we were quite aimless and erratic in the first half and, at times, we probably looked like what we are and that's a team that's not doing much training together," he said.

"The difference in the game was the smartness of the two teams. They played a simple, early kick chase and we tried to play sideways and off the back foot too much in difficult conditions."

Injury worries

As if defeat wasn't bad enough for the Airlie Birds, they lost Garreth Carvell (hip), Willie Manu (knee) and Matt Sing (ankle) to injuries.

With three more players added to an already lengthy casualty list Agar has plenty of concerns with a Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-final just three weeks away.

"We're trying to make the best use of the squad that we've got," he added.

"There are a couple more on the bed, with Carvell doing his hip, Manu is getting his knee checked and Matt Sing. It's just another week at Hull FC.

"I'm more frustrated with the starts that we get, that we need to perform for 80 minutes. We've been saying that message too often though and that's the most frustrating thing about it."