A game of two halves to celebrate Super League’s 30th birthday.
17:07, 29 Mar 2026Updated 17:10, 29 Mar 2026
Hull FC’s Sam LIsone is tackled by Catalans’ Zac Lipowicz & Kruise Leeming.
Hull FC secured back-to-back victories for the first time this season with a hard-earned 24-20 win over Catalans Dragons in a dramatic game of two halves at the MKM Stadium.
John Cartwright’s side came into the Round Six clash – played on Super League’s 30th birthday – full of confidence following last week’s win over Leeds Rhinos, and they carried that momentum into a dominant first-half display. However, a late Catalans fightback ensured a nervy finish for the Black and Whites.
Having recently delivered his best performance in a Hull shirt, Jake Arthur impressed in the opening exchanges in the absence of Aidan Sezer and Cade Cust, the latter serving a one-match suspension. Zak Hardaker shifted into the halves, while Logan Moy made his first appearance of the season.
It was former Catalans man Arthur Romano who opened the scoring inside five minutes, climbing highest to collect an Arthur kick and give the hosts an early lead.
Ligi Sao, on his 100th appearance, alongside Harvie Hill and James Bell, laid the platform in the middle, and after withstanding early pressure, Hull were rewarded. Lewis Martin crossed for his fourth try of the season after Lenny Marc spilled the ball on his own line, gifting Hull a 10-0 advantage.
Catalans suffered further setbacks before the break, with captain Ben Garcia failing a head injury assessment and hooker Alrix Da Costa forced off with a calf issue.
But there was no sympathy from Hull FC. At full-back, Moy marked his opening appearance of the year with his first try, with Davy Litten and Bell combining from a high Arthur kick to assist the 20-year-old talent.
Cartwright’s bench then made an immediate impact, with Sam Lisone crashing over with his first touch, powering through four defenders to extend the lead to 22-0 at half-time.
Hull continued to impress with their defensive effort, forcing errors and twice bundling Leo Darrelatour into touch through strong work from Tom Briscoe, Romano and Arthur.
But the contest turned dramatically in the final quarter.
Hardaker produced a try-saving effort to chase down Darrelatour after a loose Hull pass, but Catalans struck from the next play, moving the ball wide for Lenny Marc to score.
The visitors quickly added another through Darrelatour, with Toby Sexton carving open the Hull defence, before the winger soon grabbed his second as Catalans reduced the deficit to 22-14.
Momentum was firmly with the French side, and Charlie Staines’ long-range try under the posts brought them within two points at 22-20 with seven minutes remaining.
Catalans continued to press and earned a goal-line drop-out, but former Hull forward Chris Satae spilled possession at a crucial moment. Hull responded by forcing a drop-out of their own through John Asiata.
From the resulting play, Moy was caught in the air, allowing Hardaker to slot a crucial penalty to extend the lead to 24-20.
All eyes were on the restart, and Hardaker was there to save the day alongside back-rower Connor Bailey with 90 seconds left on the clock.
Hull held on to secure a valuable two points and claim back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Hull FC: Logan Moy, Tom Briscoe, Arthur Romano, Davy Litten, Lewis Martin, Zak Hardaker, Jake Arthur, Ligi Sao, Amir Bourouh, Harvie Hill, James Bell, Connor Bailey, John Asiata.
Bench: Sam Lisone, Brad Fash, Matty Laidlaw, Callum Kemp.
Tries: Romano (5’), Martin (13’), Moy (17’), Lisone (26’)
Goals: Hardaker 4/5
Catalans Dragons: Charlie Staines, Nick Cotric, Solomona Faataape, Leo Farrelatour, Toby Sexton, Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, Alrix Da Costa, Romain Navarrete, Zac Lipowicz, Ben Condon, Ben Garcia.
Bench: Chris Satae, Harvey Wilson, Kruise Leeming, Alexis Lis.
Tries: Marc (60’), Darrelatour (64’, 69’), Staines (71’)
Goals: Sexton 2/4