There’s a chance Hull KR could wrap up the League Leaders’ Shield against their bitter rivals Hull FC this weekend. The Robins are four points clear at the top of the Super League table with three games remaining and should Wigan Warriors lose at St Helens, the door would be left open for Willie Peters’ side to get the job done.
This is a Hull derby with plenty on the line for both sides of course, with Hull FC still battling away for a spot in the top six. Hull dropped out of the play-off spots over the weekend, but depending on results elsewhere, a win against the odds might just be enough to carry them back into the top half of the table.
Ahead of what is such a big clash then, we’ve taken a look at the early team news for both sides.
Hull KR team news
Rovers will be boosted by the return of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves from suspension this week, but it seems as though Rhyse Martin won’t be available. The back-rower has been hit with a two-game ban after his high tackle on Morgan Knowles on Friday night and as it stands, he won’t be involved.
Of course, it remains to be seen if KR appeal the ban, but if they decide not to, they’ll be without the second-rower for the clash with Wakefield Trinity, too.
Micky McIlorum is out with an ankle issue, while Lee Kershaw definitely won’t be involved either after suffering a season ending knee injury.
Oliver Gildart is closing in on a return though. Peters has earmarked the Wakefield game as a potential return date, but an early return wouldn’t be beyond the realms of imagination.
Sauaso Sue is the other man pushing to make a return after picking up a knee injury at Leeds Rhinos almost a fortnight ago.
Hull FC team news
The injuries are building up at Hull FC and they’ll be going to Craven Park with a huge chunk of the salary cap on the sidelines regardless of those injury doubts. Will Pryce (foot), John Asiata (hamstring), Liam Knight (ankle) and Jed Cartwright (pec) are all out for the season having picked up injuries over the last few weeks, while Ligi Sao (knee) was de-registered after injuring his knee back in February.
There are plenty of doubts too, though, and the most high profile of them all is Herman Ese’ese, who picked up a lower leg injury on Saturday against Leeds Rhinos. He’s a doubt until we get more information but John Cartwright admitted he couldn’t put any weight on it when speaking after the game.
Ed Chamberlain limped out of that game too with a hamstring injury, while Liam Watts (hamstring) and Cade Cust (back) also picked up issues. Throw Sam Eseh’s hamstring issue in there and that’s a lengthy list of potential absentees for the Black and Whites.
