The latest on a Hull FC quartet – with a season-ending blow also confirmed.
Hull FC loose-forward John Asiata.(Image: Dave Lofthouse, Hull Live)
Andy Last has confirmed that Hull FC duo Sam Lisone and Arthur Romano could make their comebacks in the near future – and hasn’t ruled out John Asiata playing again this season.
Lisone (pec) and Romano (ankle) have been out injured for the last few months. However, they are back in training following lengthy lay-offs, with the Castleford Tigers game next month pencilled in as a potential return to action.
Ligi Sao (shoulder) is also close to a return, while Asiata is back training and could feature again this year, having ruptured his hamstring in the Good Friday derby.
Asked if Hull could see Asiata again this year, Last told Hull Live: “John’s just working away in the background. It’s been tough for him. That injury was a significant one, and obviously he’s had experience with hamstring injuries; one’s gone and then the other one went.
“I’d like to hope that he could be available before the end of the season, but we won’t be rushing him back. John’s important for us moving forward, so we need to make sure that we do the right thing by John, not only for the here and now but obviously for him in the long term.”
And on Lisone, Romano and Sao, Last continued: “Sam Lisone and Arthur Romano are not far away – a couple of weeks, hopefully. Ligi Sao has had a test on his shoulder; that was a week ago. He’s got another three weeks and then we’ll see how that left shoulder has strengthened in that time. Fingers crossed we get some positive news on that.”
Elsewhere, Last, also without the likes of Connor Bailey and Brad Fash, has confirmed a season-ending injury for Callum Kemp. The young half-back, as reported on Monday, has had surgery to correct a shoulder issue and will be out for a few months.
“He was in and around the training ground today with his sling on,” Last said. “He loves rugby, does Cal, and he loves being in and around the boys. He’s a bubbly character, a typical half-back, and he’s got a little bit of craic with the boys.
“It’s probably the first major surgery that he’s had, so he’ll be learning some lessons about being a good professional now and not eating too much and making sure he stays active. And as and when he has to start doing his rehab, sometimes it can be lonely in that physio room or gymnasium where nobody else is there, but Cal is the type of kid who will embrace it.
“He’s looking at four to five months. Hopefully, he will be able to hit the start of the pre-season when we’re back in next year. It’s a challenge, but that’s the tough nature of the sport.
“It’s a shoulder injury, which is a good thing in a strange sort of way because it shows that he actually uses them when it comes to game day. He’s only young, and there was a little bit of damage in there, so we made a decision as a club with him being so young.”