Opting to let the ‘train take the strain’ the Warrington Wolves players and staff arrived in Hull in good time for one of two Super League encounters to brave the ‘beast from the east’ as the match went ahead at the KCOM Stadium.

With many supporters trapped the wrong side of an M62 closure, and following a ‘do not travel’ recommendation issued by Greater Manchester Police, the visitors were forced to manage without their vocal away support.

A victory for FC would lift them above the Wolves into fifth spot but a Warrington win would see them into the top four as the two sides above them, Wigan and Widnes, met in the other fixture which had survived the arctic armageddon.

Coach Radford made a number of changes for FC with most notably, Carlos Tuimavave back in the centres with Jake Connor to stand-off in place of Albert Kelly, who suffered a head knock last weekend, along with wholesale changes in the pack and on the bench.

Warrington were without the concussed Kevin Brown, who was replaced by Declan Patton, with the injured Ben Currie missing out in the second row and replaced by Ben Murdoch-Masila.

Good early pressure from the Wolves was frustrated by the Hull defence as cold hands led to multiple handling errors. Toby King conceeded a penalty on eighteen on his own thirty for an incorrect play-the-ball and Marc Sneyd accepted the invitation to slot over the penalty goal for the lead to the Airlie Birds.

Jake Connor kicked a 40-20 on twenty-two and after Sika Manu had been held up over the line Bureta Faraimo was on the end of a Manu miss-out pass, when he jumped to take a Sneyd kick to the corner, to go over on the right wing. Sneyd added brilliantly from the touchline for an 8-0 lead. The Wolves early season defensive frailty was back on show.

After being the better side in the opening fifteen minutes, the Wolves spent the rest of the half on the back foot, defending their own line for long periods. Seconds before the interval Stefan Ratchford interfered at the play-the-ball and Sneyd kicked the penalty goal for a 10-0 half time lead.

FC had the best of the opening second half exchanges and when Declan Patton struck Faraimo round the jaw, knocking him out, referee Thaler had no option but to show him the red card leaving Warrington down to twelve and with an uphill task. Sneyd opted to kick from forty metres and slotted the penalty between the uprights.

Warrington spilled the ball in their own half on fifty-one and FC used their sets before Carlos Tuimavave supported well to take a ball from Talanoa to dive over under the sticks. Sneyd added the extras and the two points were almost in the bag at 18-0.

But Warrington weren’t ready to throw the towel in.

Jack Hughes got the Wolves first try of the game on fifty-six when he finally found a way through the FC line to slide over. Ratchford added the extras for 18-6. Three minutes later and the twelve men were in again when Ryan Atkins benefitted from a Ben Westwood offload to dive over. Ratchford was able to add the extras and the game was back on at 12-18 with twenty minutes left.

A high tackle on Jamie Shaul gave Sneyd his sixth goal of the night on seventy minutes to extend the lead to eight points to snuff out the Wolves revival.

Liam Watts totally lost his cool on seventy-two and head-butted Dom Crosby. Once again Thaler had no option but to brandish the red. The sides would play out the remaining minutes with twelve each.

Shunning a penalty on seventy-seven, FC used their tackles and Sneyd kicked a drop goal on the last tackle for a 21-12 victory.

At times this was a bad tempered affair to keep the crowd warm. Hull weathered the early storm from Warrington and then took the game to them. FC showed more quality, and with the exception of Watts, composure. The game was dogged by errors from both sides and neither attack really set things alight as Hull ground out a return to winning ways after their trip down under.

FC: Shaul, Faraimo (T), Tuimavave (T), Griffin , Talanoa, Connor, Sneyd (6G, DG), Taylor, Washbrook, Watts (SO on 72), Manu, Minichiello, Hadley.  Subs: Abdull, Fash, Bowden, Turgut.

Wolves: Ratchford (2G), Lineham, Goodwin, Atkins (T), Brown M, Patton (SO on 48), Roberts, Hill, Clark, Cooper, Murdoch-Masila, Hughes (T), Westwood.  Subs: Crosby, Philbin, Akauola, King.

Referee: Ben Thaler.

Half-Time: 10-0.

Full-Time: 21-12.

Attendance: .