SLOPING away from the Stade Gilbert Brutus last month, Hull FC left having been beaten on all fronts as a five-game winning run was abruptly halted.
Given their superb form, all at the Black and Whites hoped, and assumed, it was a blip.
Three games later, and Hull now find themselves in a losing streak that has given their 2013 campaign a whole new complexion. It is threatening to kill it.
From pushing for fourth, Hull have suddenly found themselves in a fight to make the top-eight.
The league table has become unpleasant viewing, but cutting through the gloom remains the hope of a return to the biggest stage of all with a trip to Wembley.
The Challenge Cup may prove Hull's saving grace, and with that in mind, it is easy to see why some fans are already labelling Saturday's quarter final against Catalan Dragons as a game to save FC's season.
Mutterings of discontent are becoming increasingly more audible at the KC Stadium as once again a season of promise is perched precariously on a cliff edge.
Victory in France on Saturday and the season is alive and well. Wembley would be a real possibility.
Defeat however, could tip FC over the edge and see a campaign that was supposed to be the start of a significant transition from pretenders to contenders come crashing down.
Quite simply, the game in Perpignan will be the most important day of the Adam Pearson era so far.
Arriving two years ago from nowhere like a white knight riding into town, Pearson wasted little time in stamping his mark on Hull FC.
Significant investment has been made on and off the field with transfer deals, training ground upgrades and extra staff brought in to improve Hull's chances of success.
The promise of better on the pitch, however, is yet to be delivered.
"Seventh, eighth, ninth, whatever position we have been finishing in the last few years, it is totally unacceptable, so bring that pressure on," Pearson said at the start of the 2012 season.
An owner with big ambitions, sitting eighth in the Super League table with six games to play was not his vision – winning the cup is.
With one of two trophies which are up for grabs still a realistic target for Hull, the pressure on the Black and Whites' current position in the table is diluted to some extent.
There has been a sense around the club all year the target has been not only to reach Wembley, but also to win the Challenge Cup.
Speaking back in December last year, Pearson said: "If we have a full squad to go at the competition then I think we have a real chance in the cup. It is something we want to do. We want to get to Wembley."
Since that statement Pearson and indeed Gentle have repeated their desire for cup success.
Amid the disappointment of Hull's current league plight, it's important to remember FC have a genuine chance of lifting the trophy.
Victory in France may not be easy, but there's no denying that Hull have the quality and ability to win, if they can banish the sort of form that has hit their league position.
With the tantalising prospect of the winner of Sheffield v London waiting for somebody in the semi-finals, Wembley's glorious arch doesn't look that far away.
The difficulty lies in where Hull go should they fail to slay the Dragons in Perpignan.
A cup dream is placating many at the KC at present, but failure to progress to the last four would only serve to highlight a league position which is simply not good enough.
A favourable run-in, a pretty healthy squad for this time of year and an improved display against Huddersfield on Sunday offers hope Hull can snap their losing streak and begin to claw their way back up the table.
Hope needs to become reality though. Hull set out grand plans to become a top-four force upon Gentle's arrival, and while it may only be fine margins in the last three weeks separating victory and defeat, they've come out on the wrong end of those scorelines, and any hope of a top-four finish is realistically over.
If the league table doesn't lie, then a return of nine wins from 21 games is a stark reminder of how tough a year it has been for the Black and Whites.
The likelihood is five wins from their remaining six league games will be needed to secure a home tie in the play-offs. They need to win all six just to match last season's points total.
For now attention switches to the cup and a game that could yet provide the spark for a successful end to the campaign. There's no denying it is the biggest game of the season, a game of huge importance and a match where potential needs to be realised.
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