Hull FC head coach John Cartwright is facing a number of key selection calls ahead of the 250th derby against Hull KR on Good Friday.
The Black and Whites will be the visitors at Craven Park on Friday and they’re actually in the better form with two consecutive wins coming against opponents that Hull KR failed to defeat, however, everyone knows that form goes out of the window in a derby clash.
John Cartwright may well hope so given that Hull KR defeated St Helens 52-10 last Friday in a rampant display with Mikey Lewis and Joe Burgess both scoring hat-tricks.
Whilst Hull KR will obviously offer plenty for Cartwright to be thinking about, it’s his own team that will be causing plenty of headaches this week as a host of key players return, including two spine players.
As such, a number of key selection calls will be ruled over with one potentially a last-minute decision.
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Hull FC selection headaches
Who plays in the halves?
Perhaps the most important call is who will play in the halves for Hull FC as their last two wins have seen two separate combinations, though Jake Arthur has been a constant in both.
The NRL signing played alongside utility man Cade Cust in the win over Leeds whilst it was Zak Hardaker who played alongside him when they defeated Catalans, however, first-choice number seven Aidan Sezer has been named in the squad after an early return from a pectoral injury.
FC have said that Sezer will be ‘given every chance to feature’ but with no Challenge Cup the week after, it’s possibly wise to leave him out and ensure he is fully primed when he does return. Moreover, Jake Arthur has played well at seven and would be adept their with either Cust, who returns from suspension, or Hardaker, who has just signed a new deal.
Full-back
Depending on where Zak Hardaker plays decides whether there is much debate here as it was the veteran who featured there in rounds four and five, however, Logan Moy made a try-scoring return to action in the role last week.
The young full-back had a very strong game and could well start with Hardaker then an option at six, centre, second-row, or even off the bench with his versatility a key reason why the club have signed him to a new deal.
Other key calls
Having made his mind up on his halves and his full-back, John Cartwright likely still has a call to make at hooker because on Monday he revealed Amir Bourouh to have a slight groin complaint.
“There’s nothing major,” Cartwright confirmed but with Cade Cust back, it’s another key call he’ll have to make based on how Borough has fared in training given the club’s short turnaround.
Joe Batchelor also returns from injury but whether he’s match-ready is another question though he’d of course love to line up against his brother James, who has scored in all three of his Good Friday derbies.
Possible Hull FC XIII: Logan Moy; Tom Briscoe, Arthur Romano, Davy Litten, Lewis Martin; Zak Hardaker, Jake Arthur; Ligi Sao, Cade Cust, Harvie Hill; Connor Bailey, James Bell; John Asiata
Interchanges: Joe Batchelor, Sam Lisone, Matty Laidlaw, Callum Kemp
