'We've got to be positive': Tony Smith convinced upbeat Hull FC will turn corner

The Black and Whites are second from bottom with the worst defensive record in the competition after suffering a seventh straight defeat at Leeds Rhinos last time out.

A potential relegation battle was not what Smith envisaged when he took the reins in the off-season but Super League's most experienced coach remains upbeat.

"We're waiting for a couple of twists to happen for us and when they do we'll get a whole lot of confidence out of that but in the meantime, we're not going to get despondent and dwell on not being good enough," he said.

"We're forging ahead and we're trying to get a better performance this week. If we get a better performance, it gives us a chance.

"If we're going out there thinking we're not as good as everybody keeps telling us and start believing all that then we've got no chance. We've got to be real about where we're at but we've also got to be positive. That's what we're being this week."

Hull avoided the ignominy of sitting bottom at the one-third mark of the season by virtue of early wins over Castleford Tigers and Leeds, coupled with Wakefield Trinity's dismal start.

Smith has stressed that the positive mood should not be mistaken for blissful ignorance of the club's situation.

"We're not shying away from it, nobody has, and nobody was saying before the season started that we were going to be world beaters either," he added.

"We're going through some processes here at the moment and some changes. It's hurting us and it's hurting our supporters. We get that. We can't wait for when we're putting smiles back on their faces but we have to remain positive here and upbeat.

"We're not going to kick stones. My job is to get these players upbeat and feeling like this week is their week.

"I also don't want them to go out there not caring or just carrying on like their life is okay.

"They need to work harder and put in extra time and extra effort in their training in order to get on top of their game. We all do.

"If you ask me about our future, it's going to be bright, both this year and beyond. Would we like it brighter now? Absolutely. There's no doubt about that."

A home date with Huddersfield represents Hull's next opportunity to kick-start their season.

The Giants have won only half of their games after a disrupted start, which offers Smith encouragement.

"They've got some good players but they've shown that they can be beaten," he said.

"It would be nice if we were added to that list in terms of teams that have beaten them.

"Time will tell but only great effort will do that. That's the only way you can beat them.

"They are really big on the effort part of the game. They do the little things well and that's what makes them hard to beat."