Hull FC aren’t getting hung up on their recent run of bad luck, says Joe Cator ahead of their trip to Catalans Dragons this evening.
The Black and Whites were flying high in June and looking up the league ladder before an outbreak of Covid led to three straight games being postponed.
Their season has taken a turn for the worse since then with three losses coming before Sunday’s trip to Warrington Wolves was postponed due to another five players testing positive for the virus.
FC were within their rights to cancel tonight’s trip to Perpignan had they wanted, given the number of players missing through coronavirus, but there was little desire to see another contest fall by the wayside this week, particularly as the battle for the play-offs ramps up.
Brett Hodgson’s side find themselves perched on the edge of the play-offs and would more than likely drop out of the top six should they fail to pick up the result at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.
However, Cator, who signed a new two-year deal last week, insists FC are remaining positive in the hope of getting their season back on track.
“A lot of things have been out of our control: Covid, injuries, not being able to get a run of games, not being able to get the same team out on the pitch,” Cator said.
“In a normal season you struggle with injuries anyway but put Covid on top of them, sometimes you can’t prepare for it.
“That’s why it’s important to have a strong squad outside the 17 and people need to step up and we have full confidence in the people that are stepping up and where the badge and shirt. We believe we have strong squad and we can challenge anyone.
“You just have to crack on with it, expect the unexpected and crack on with it. You can’t prepare for it.
“You don’t have any time to be frustrated or anything like that because you need to be on with your next task and once one game has gone, you can’t dwell on it or it’ll kill you. You need to switch on, get ready for the next one and that’s what we’re doing now.
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“The spirit’s not down, our belief isn’t down, we still believe we’re a very good team and we know we can still deliver if we’re on.”
Cator knows FC have their work cut out if they’re to start turning things around tonight at the home of the league leaders, but he believes keeping their discipline in the Mediterranean heat will be crucial.
“You have to win this game like you win every other game by running hard and tackling hard, as the cliché goes,” he added.
“You’ve also got complete high and the discipline needs to be where it’s at. I think our discipline has cost us a few times in the last few games.
“It will be really hot over there, so it will be important for us to start well and when the subs come on they have that extra impact, because it will be 35C over there.
“We need to out-enthuse them and keep our discipline, that gives them piggy backs and puts us under the pump, but we’re confident of going over there and getting the result.”
