Win the tight games
THE difference failing to win the tight games makes is striking in its evidence.
Peter Gentle's side ended the 2012 season in sixth place on 32 points. Defeats against Salford, Hull KR and Wakefield, and draws against St Helens and Warrington, all in games Hull were leading, cost them a top-four finish.
In fact, had Hull held on to win those games they'd have found themselves sitting pretty on 40 points alongside Warrington in second and only one win behind table-toppers Wigan.
It's easy to play the game of what if, but these were matches there for the taking, games Hull had manoeuvred themselves into a position to win, only to see the victory snatched away.
Many may argue, for example, that a defeat at Widnes should have been two points picked up as well. However, Hull's performance that night didn't warrant anything.
Nobody has any right to win, points have to be earned, but it is that failure to seal the victory when a lead has been earned that ultimately proves costly.
A lack of an on-field general was what was missing last season. A player with the ability and nous to take the game by the scruff of the neck and see out time through a disciplined kicking game or leadership would have made all the difference.
Step forward Daniel Holdsworth. Brought in to help Hull win games, the Aussie play-maker's ability to read a game and dictate play will prove vital in helping his side see out games too.
Alongside the calming influence of fellow new arrivals Gareth Ellis and Ben Galea, Hull have a trio to steady the ship in the face of mounting pressure.
In the increasingly competitive Super League, finding a way over the winning line in tight games can be the difference between a lofty top-four finish or a scramble to get in the top six.
Improve away form
IN the aftermath of their play-off defeat to Warrington, Hull FC's players were brought in one by one for their end-of-season review.
Sitting down with Gentle, the players were individually taken through their highs and lows for the season with a forward path plotted.
Receptive to the thoughts of his squad, Gentle also took the opportunity to hear any concerns from his side, while also gauging opinion on all aspects of the club.
Top of that discussion list must surely have been Hull's disappointing away form and the players thoughts behind it.
Asked throughout last season by the media, the common answer from the players was they were unable to put their finger on why Hull were so commanding at home, and yet so inconsistent and erratic on their travels.
Of their 15 Super League games away from the KC, Hull won just five.
For Gentle, it was increasingly frustrating and rather than sit back and hope for better next year, he's changed things up for 2013.
With the backing of owner Adam Pearson, the players will be treated to more luxury on their travels in an effort to aid their cause.
A new coach to travel on and an upgrade in hotels are the first step, while the time of travel has also been examined with plans to alter when Hull leave for games. Having kept the same routine throughout last season at training and seen such a difference in the performances home and away, Gentle is eager to examine every avenue to aid his side in repeating their KC displays on the road.
With their every comfort taken care of, the onus will fall on the players to deliver the performances.
Too often it seemed the Black and Whites needed to improve mentally, with games such as the Widnes defeat taken too lightly. There's no doubting the senior players added to the squad will help in that respect.
Be more consistent with displays for whole year
IN his first official press conference as Hull FC coach, Gentle spelled out his vision for 2012 and beyond.
Ambitious and confident, Gentle knew he needed to teach his team to walk before they ran, with consistency the major issue the Aussie wanted to tackle.
"We need the difference between our best game and our worst game to be a lot smaller," he explained.
Having seen videos of what had looked like two different teams in the 2011 season, Gentle lamented Hull's ability to be great one week and woeful the next.
Upon his arrival he made correcting that issue a top priority.
A year later, the gap between Hull's best and worse has been reduced, but Gentle will admit it is still nowhere near tolerable levels.
While Hull were only put to the sword a couple of times last season, the difference in the team's displays was still not befitting a club with trophy aspirations.
From the highs of two derby wins, an impressive victory at St Helens and at home to Leeds Rhinos to the disappointment of a record home defeat to Wigan, losses at Widnes, Wakefield and Salford, Hull still lacked consistency in their performances, even if their results were more consistent.
Ultimately it comes down to leadership and the right mentality. When Gentle signed Ellis and Galea to add to players like Andy Lynch, he did so with this aspect very much in mind.
Creating the right atmosphere and culture at training, Gentle is hoping to see a consistency to their approach and displays throughout his squad.
And with the right breed of players at his disposal, he has every chance of correcting this issue.
Develop a kicking game to aid attack and defence
IN signing Holdsworth, Gentle will hope he's finally got a player who can add some bite to Hull's kicking game.
An increasingly crucial part of any side's make-up, a solid kicking game is a vital part of Super League.
And yet Hull's success last season came despite a lack of a kicking game, rather than because of it.
With kicking duties passed between Brett Seymour, Richard Horne and Danny Houghton, Hull failed to forge a kicking game capable of regularly opening sides up, instead relying on their tactical approach and passing game.
As the season progressed, more responsibility fell on the shoulders of Houghton in this regard.
The onus in 2013 will be on Holdsworth, a player who at Salford showed he has the skills to add another string to Hull's bow.
Statistics are not everything, but the fact Hull lay 12th in the table in terms of attacking kicks last season, and no team kicked fewer 40/20s, emphasises the need for improvements.
Holdsworth will bring those improvements, boasting one of the best kicking games in the competition. Near the opposition line it will make Hull more dangerous, but the relief a good kick can bring from a defensive position is equally important.
A key part of Hull's warm-weather training in Tenerife, Gentle has made kicking practice a top priority.
Score more tries
IT may seem an obvious statement, given the nature of the game is to score more tries than the opposition.
But Hull's return of 117 tries last season was only the eighth best in Super League and was 30 less than the top four and an astonishing 66 less than the 183 tries Wigan scored.
Arriving at the club and needing to make wholesale changes to a new-look squad, Gentle turned his focus last year to honing Hull's defensive style.
It was a ploy that worked well, with Hull proving hard to break through for the most part and using their defensive displays to be the launch pad for many of their victories.
Often in 2012 wins came purely due to how solid Hull were in defence.
Having to chop and change their full-back and half-back pairing did little to help Hull from an attacking stand point and there's no doubt that fact contributed to their try tally.
With aspirations of being a top-four side in 2013, there's no doubting Hull need to score more tries.
There is no extra reward whether you score three or 10 tries, with the two points on offer for a victory not the scoreline.
And yet an ability to post more points will help in the close games will breed further confidence and also cause the opposition more concern when they prepare to meet the Black and Whites.
An improvement in each individual aspect of Hull's game will no doubt aid the other and it goes without saying a better consistency and improved kicking game will help Hull score more tries. Just as scoring more tries will aid Hull's attempts to improve their away form.
With each dependant on the other, it is that wholesale improvement Gentle is searching for. Should he get it, and with the players recruited, an improvement in Hull's league position must surely follow in 2013.
