Hull FC host Warrington Wolves this Saturday.
Hull FC were already depleted going into Saturday’s Super League clash against Warrington Wolves, but now they’re down to their bare bones.
Although this time, it’s self-inflicted, with the club handed four suspensions to players by the Match Review Panel after some ugly incidents in Sunday’s derby defeat to Hull KR. Those bans have been given to Jack Ashworth, Jordan Rapana, Yusuf Aydin, and Amir Bourouh, with Ashworth set for a minimum six-game suspension and Rapana banned for two. Aydin and Bourouh are banned for one.
And with the injury toll already in double figures and containing the likes of Will Pryce, Herman Ese’ese, Jed Cartwright, John Asiata, Liam Knight, etc., it leaves John Cartwright pretty thin in terms of his squad selections for the clash against the Wire – a scenario all the more frustrating given the side, mathematically at least, has a chance of a Super League play-off position.
In fact, should Rovers defeat Wakefield Trinity on Saturday afternoon, then Hull will be in the final play-off spot come Saturday night so long as they defeat Warrington. But now they have it all to do – especially if they don’t opt to appeal any of the suspensions and subsequently win the appeals.
If not, they’re going to be forced into four changes at least, with the four suspended players dropping out – although there is the welcome factor that no known injury issues arose from the derby.
So who comes in? Well, Harvey Barron is perhaps the most obvious change – providing the winger passes his return to play protocols. He originally passed his HIA against Leeds but failed his post-match check-up. He will now look to return, pushing Tom Briscoe back to centre in place of Rapana. The left edge should remain as normal, with Davy Litten paired with Lewis Martin.
Up front, Sam Eseh could be a straight swap for Jack Ashworth, provided the on-loan prop recovers from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for the last few weeks. A further update will come on Eseh later this week. However, he was in contention to play against Rovers before being ruled out before the captain’s run. Liam Watts is set to be named as the other starting prop.
The two other changes could see Callum Kemp and Brad Fash promoted to the starting side in place of Aydin and Bourouh, with Kemp partnering Aidan Sezer in the halves and Cust moving to hooker. Fash is a straight swap for Aydin at loose-forward. The back row would then be unchanged, with Jordan Lane and Zak Hardaker getting the nod.
That leaves two bench spots to be filled, with Zach Jebson, in the 21-man squad for the derby, potentially taking one and Denive Balmforth another. Hull could opt to recall the player from his loan spell at Catalans Dragons. They are short on out-and-out hooking options now, with young dummy-half Will Hutchinson out with an ankle injury. Balmforth would inject a spark off the bench and has been in good form for the French side.
The other option is to use Logan Moy as the interchange back. Moy was Hull’s 18th man against Rovers and can play pretty much anywhere in the spine and has also featured on the wing for Doncaster this year. Will Kirby too is available to call on, with some more young players set to be named in the 21-man squad on Thursday.
How Hull FC could line up against Warrington: Lloyd Kemp; Harvey Barron, Tom Briscoe, Davy Litten, Lewis Martin; Callum Kemp, Aidan Sezer; Liam Watts, Cade Cust, Sam Eseh; Jordan Lane, Zak Hardaker; Brad Fash
Interchange: Denive Balmforth, Matty Laidlaw, Will Gardiner, Zach Jebson. 18th Man: Logan Moy