Hull FC 42-16 Catalans: Hull FC put seven past Dragons
Last Updated: 23/03/18 11:30pm
Hull FC returned to winning ways in the Betfred Super League with a 42-16 victory over bottom-placed Catalans Dragons.
Recent defeats at Leeds and Salford mean Hull have lost all four matches away from home this season, but this seven-try victory meant that they maintained their 100 per cent record at the KCOM Stadium.
Josh Griffin and Fetuli Talanoa got the ball rolling for Hull and both registered tries in each half while Jamie Shaul, Scott Taylor and Jake Connor all crossed after half-time.
Marc Sneyd was successful with all six of his conversion attempts for Hull, for whom returning half-back Albert Kelly made a positive impact in his first start since suffering a head injury against Castleford last month.
Former Hull prop Sam Moa, Lucas Albert and Tony Gigot were the try-scorers for Catalans, who gave a decent account of themselves in the first half before capitulating after the interval.
They remain rooted to the foot of the standings with just one win from their opening seven games while they have amassed just 76 points in that time.
The Perpignan club's cause was not helped by some early indiscipline that led to Hull territory in a dangerous position.
Danny Washbrook's pass led to Griffin atoning for an earlier knock-on as he bounced off an attempted tackle from Catalans stand-off Samisoni Langi to go over for a 10th-minute try.
Hull were galvanised and needed only another four minutes to further their advantage, with Talanoa leaping above a nervy Catalans defence to touch down from Kelly's crossfield kick.
Any thoughts of Catalans immediately wilting were dismissed as, on their first sustained assault on the line, Moa burst through a gap in the Hull defence to charge over in the 19th minute.
Albert was unable to add the extras, meaning Hull held an eight-point advantage following Sneyd's two earlier successful conversions.
Perhaps emboldened by scoring just their 10th try of the season, Catalans fought on equal terms for the rest of the half and only a last-gasp intervention held up David Mead after he had burst over the line.
However, they fell further behind two minutes into the second half when Shaul ignored the support of Bureta Faraimo on the right to surge over.
And the visitors' misery was further compounded when first Julian Bousquet was held up on the line before Fouad Yaha grounded just over the dead ball line from Albert's grubber.
Any hopes Catalans had of responding were effectively ended when Carlos Tuimavave's excellent offload was collected by Talanoa, who held on to the ball by his ankles and crossed on the left in the 55th minute.
Taylor jinked his way over just before the hour mark while Catalans full-back Gigot dropped a high ball almost immediately afterwards, allowing Connor to score Hull's sixth try.
Catalans scrum-half Albert and Gigot struck late on but by then the result was already a formality and Griffin touched down on the hooter, with Connor converting.
