Hull FC captain Scott Taylor talks to the Golden Point Vodcast
Monday 13 July 2020 16:55, UK
When Scott Taylor and his Hull FC team-mates finally take to the field more than four months after their last Super League match, there will be a new face sitting the stands taking charge of the team.
Long-time assistant coach Andy Last has been handed the reins, at least on a caretaker basis, following the decision by Black and Whites chairman Adam Pearson to sack head coach Lee Radford in the immediate aftermath of the 38-4 defeat at home to Warrington Wolves.
The post-match events on the night of March 12 - Hull's last game before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic - which saw Pearson appear post-match on Sky Sports to announce Radford's departure have already gone down in Super League history.
But Hull vice-captain Taylor told the Golden Point Vodcast he and his team-mates had little idea of what was unfolding until Radford entered the changing room.
"It was disappointing straight away because, at the end of the day, the players let him down on that night and the performance was one of the worst we'd put in," Taylor told Sky Sports. "It was massively unacceptable and that was everyone that night who was wearing a Hull FC shirt.
"I didn't know what was going on off the pitch, all I can talk about is in the changing rooms and obviously we were waiting there a bit.
"Then Radders came in and, like the honest and true man he is, talked to us all and debriefed us all, and he took it unbelievably well and gave every one of the players a big cuddle and wished us all the best."
It was disappointing straight away because, at the end of the day, the players let him down on that night and the performance was one of the worst we'd put in.
At that point, few perhaps expected they would have to wait until August to get a chance to right the wrongs from that night and it will be a much different competition the players across all 12 Super League clubs will return to.
The other change to get used, which will affect all teams and players, is the new rules which have been implemented for the rest of the 2020 season, including scrums being suspended and the 'six again' rule from the NRL being adopted.
Taylor has watched with interest the effects the 'six again' rule has had in the Australian competition and believes it will be felt most by him and his fellow forwards - particularly when midweek games are added to the equation.
"It just comes onto player welfare, for me," Taylor said. "I've spoken to a couple of lads and the 'six again' rule is encouraging more blow-out scorelines in the NRL and I don't have much of a problem with that, but all of the middles are suffering a lot more injuries and fatiguing.
"There are going to be times where we'll have to play six times in a month. Obviously the NRL are playing fewer fixtures and we're going to have to play three times a week at some points.
"It's going to be more fatiguing and I hope it isn't going to encourage poor technique and more leg tackles, and then you're obviously going to get more head knocks off the back of it.
"I think if we start and there are more injuries, then the RFL can look at it from there."
The England prop admits it has been difficult training on his own over the past four months to keep in shape for the return to training with Hull and the season restart, having missed the day-to-day interaction with other players.
I think mentally it's been tougher and just not having a finish line, but since we've had that finish line it's motivated me even more for when we finally get the green light.
However, Taylor has succeeded in his aims for keeping himself in good condition and cannot wait to get back to playing.
"I got weighed as lockdown started and I thought if I could finish lockdown at the same weight then I've done something right and I'm at my playing weight still," Taylor said.
"It's been tough training on your own, obviously you're used to being with the boys and get that motivation by competing with each other - even in pre-season, just having someone to go against and compete, or look where you're at and have a look at people in different positions.
"I think mentally it's been tougher and just not having a finish line, but since we've had that finish line it's motivated me even more for when we finally get the green light."
