Hull FC air Connor challenge

HULL FC TAKE ON LEEDS RHINOS ON FRIDAY NIGHT

- By DAN TOMLINSON

HULL FC know all too well the threat of Jake Connor - after six seasons at the Black and Whites.

In that time, Connor's attacking talent was undoubted. The try-assist king, he excelled for the Airlie Birds before moving back to Huddersfield Giants when Tony Smith took charge of Hull.

However, it's at Leeds where he has truly hit his straps again. One of the form players in the Super League competition, the now 30-year-old maverick leads the way in the Man of Steel charts, with the trust and freedom given by coach Brad Arthur bringing the best out of him.

That threat is something John Cartwright is well aware of, with the Hull boss laying out the importance of stopping Connor from "having a night out" at Headingley.

"He's made a big difference to them with his attacking flair," said Cartwright, speaking in his pre-match press conference. "They've really worked hard defensively; you can see that, but in a lot of their tries, he's been around.