Hull boss Tony Smith reacts to their Challenge Cup quarter-final draw

Hull coach Tony Smith says they’ll head in to their Challenge Cup quarter-final against St Helens as underdogs, but has every bit of confidence that his side can achieve something special.

The Black and Whites cruised in to the quarter-finals thanks to an impressive 32-8 win at Castleford in the sixth round on Sunday afternoon.

The quarter-final draw took place live on the BBC after their win at Castleford, where they were drawn at home against world champions Saints.

Smith, who guided Warrington to three Challenge Cup final triumphs, believes his side have got what it takes to reach the semi-finals.

“At least we’ve got them at home,” he said. “Saints at Saints would have been a bit tougher, but if you want to win the Cup then you have to cause some upsets.

“Upsets happen in the Cup and in Super League and I’m not saying we’re definitely going to do it, but we’ll give it a crack.

“How can you not get inspired by the fans that we have? You saw them today and it was a beautiful day for them to come and support us.

“I hope they’re happy and that we rewarded them for the faith that they are showing in us.”

Tony Smith proud of Hull’s win over Castleford

Smith cut a proud figure after his side’s win over Castleford, having now won four games on the spin.

Adam Swift bagged a hat-trick, with Josh Griffin, Jack Brown and Jordan Lane also getting on the scoresheet.

Smith said: “We were pretty solid and I think we enjoyed that game in many respects.

“The players had to work hard and dig deep right from the kick-off, but we came through that and, almost every time we went down the other end, we scored points.

“Defensively we were pretty solid and to only allow one try in each half was pretty good going.

“I like what both the Jakes (Trueman & Clifford) did and I thought they complemented each other well – and also took pressure off each other.

“Swifty was good and full of energy, but he always is. He gets to the point where he can’t run any further, but he was strong and good in defence.

“It was a good, solid performance and we’ve built on some of where we’ve been recently.

“I just think our combinations are getting better and, as long as we’re doing that, it gives us a chance to be competitive.”

Next up for Hull is a Super League clash against Salford at the AJ Bell Stadium next Sunday, 3pm kick-off.

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