Jordan Abdull has marked his second game since returning from injury but Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin has claimed that the half-back must focus on his fitness if the French side are to have any success this season.
Abdull has already missed a number of games through injury this season with the hamstring injury that marred his 2023 campaign with Hull KR being an issue once again.
It was those injuries that seemed to be the cause behind why Willie Peters was happy to allow the 28-year-old to leave Hull KR with Abdull’s move to Catalans Dragons coming as a shock early in the year.
Hull KR had already recruited ex-Catalans man Tyrone May meaning that they could afford to allow Abdull to leave on loan, with Steve McNamara’s side free to make it a permanent deal at any time they wish.
So far in 2024 Abdull has missed three games and that has contributed to Catalans’ spine changing almost every week as Jon Wells explained on Sky Sports.
Wells noted: “Tonight marks the ninth different spine combination in 11 games, and this is from a side that wants to be competing for silverware at the business end of the season, and they’ve had nine different 1-6-7-9 combos in 11 games.
“Despite that, with a win today, they can go top of the table. It’s weird.”
The comments were made prior to Catalans clash with Leeds Rhinos in the south of France with over 1,000 Rhinos fans making the journey.
Jon Wilkin slams Jordan Abdull over his fitness
Credit: Imago Images
One of the factors for those changes has been the fact that Abdull has missed out and Jon Wilkin has now suggested that the Englishman must hold himself accountable and work on his fitness more.
Speaking pre-match on Sky Sports, Jon Wilkin argued: “I think today’s spine is probably the one with the best balance that they’ve got.”
He would then clarify his issue with the talented Abdull, noting: “I’ll say this though, Jordan Abdull needs to get match fit. He needs to take that physical preparation to the game seriously because he has injuries and he’s in and out of the team.
“When you’re so dependent upon a voice to lead your team around, you need him to be fit and physically prepared to go all the way through the year.
“If there’s something you can say throughout his career, it’s not that it’s a skill issue. Skill-wise, it’s ten out of ten but it’s the physical preparation that needs to be polished up.”
It has been a common theme of Abdull’s recent career in which he’s struggled with fitness. Across the last four seasons at Hull KR, he only once played more than 15 games meaning he rarely completed half the season.
Critiquing Abdull’s fitness wasn’t the only pre-match rant that Jon Wilkin embarked on with the former St Helens captain also revealing that he didn’t believe Tommy Makinson should have been sent off for his former club, before pointing out that if Makinson was shown red than a Wigan man should have been as well.
