Hull FC finally broke a dismal run of seven straight defeats when they rallied to a 32-18 triumph over St Helens at the BrewDog Stadium, a win largely powered by winger Harvey Barron's maiden senior hat-trick. The three tries from Barron not only revived Hull's hopes of steering clear of the Super League's dreaded wooden spoon, but also intensified speculation that the defending champions, St Helens, might miss out on the post‑season playoffs. Before the match, Hull had not tasted success at the BrewDog Stadium in a decade – ten attempts without a win – and they were perched just two points above the league's bottom‑placed side, the Huddersfield Giants. The atmosphere was charged, with both interim coaches eager to prove their mettle: Andy Last for Hull and Eamon O'Carroll for the Saints, who had suffered a historic loss at York the previous weekend, ending an 80‑year unbeaten run there.
The first half was tightly contested. St Helens opened the scoring early, capitalising on a full‑back error when Logan Moy knocked the ball on and Lewis Murphy pounced, diving into the corner for the opening try. Hull responded swiftly; a mis‑timed pass from Zak Hardaker found Barron in space, and he crossed for his first try of the night just before the half‑time whistle. The score stood at 14-10 in favour of the Saints as the teams headed into the break.
The second half belonged to Hull. Within minutes of the restart, Barron struck again, completing his hat‑trick at the 47‑minute mark.
His third try was a textbook finish, timing a perfect run into the corner and grounding the ball under pressure. Only three minutes later, substitute forward Cade Cust added another Hull try, extending the lead to a decisive 16 points in an 11‑minute burst that left St Helens reeling.
The Saints, still coping with the recent departure of head coach Paul Rowley, could not recover the momentum. Hull's victory was historic for several reasons.
It marked their first away win on St Helens soil since August 2017, and it lifted them to 13th place in the league table, level on points with the Bradford Bulls. Despite the win, the Hull side remains in the lower half of the table, but the points gap to safety has narrowed considerably.
Meanwhile, St Helens, a club that has never missed the playoffs in its modern era, slipped to seventh place, with every team above them still having games in hand. Key moments that defined the contest included a penalty awarded to Hull after Tom Briscoe was penalised for a high tackle in the 18th minute, and a contentious decision when Jake Arthur's clever double cut‑out pass set up Lewis Martin for a try that put Hull ahead 10-8. Later, a last‑minute defensive lapse saw Jack Welsby sprint 30 metres to score for the Saints, but the lead was short‑lived. With just 37 seconds left in regular time, Saints captain James Hastings was forced off, and Barron capitalised on an angled kick from Aidan Sezer to cross again.
The on‑field referee initially ruled the try out, but video referee Chris Kendall overturned the decision after review, confirming Barron's third score. Hardaker converted both of Barron's tries and added a penalty in the 70th minute, sealing the win for Hull. A consolation try from Harry Robertson for St Helens could not change the outcome, and Hull capped the night with a final try from former Saint James Bell, further emphasizing the turnaround. The evening also featured action from the Women's Super League.
In the inaugural match of the new Super Four format, Wigan Warriors dominated St Helens with a 44-6 victory at the same venue. Wigan's Ellise Derbyshire and Eva Hunter each recorded a brace, while contributions from Anna Davies, Molly Jones, Remi Wilton, Jenna Foubister and Mary Coleman rounded out the scoring. Their performance underscored Wigan's status as defending champions and highlighted the growing competitiveness of the women's game.
Looking ahead, Sky Sports has committed to broadcasting every Super League match live this season, with two fixtures each round shown exclusively on the main channel and the remaining five available via Sky Sports+. This comprehensive coverage ensures fans can follow every twist and turn of the league, from Hull's resurgence to the playoff battles that will define the closing weeks of the campaign.