Get the lowdown ahead of Hull FC’s Betfred Challenge Cup Round 3 tie with Featherstone Rovers tomorrow.
Neither of these sides have tasted defeat in 2021, with Hull winning their opening two Betfred Super League fixtures and Featherstone victorious in their warm-up matches, their prior cup ties and last weekend’s Championship opener.
It leads towards an intriguing encounter at the Millennium Stadium, the first meeting between Hull and Featherstone since a fierce cup encounter in West Yorkshire in 2018.
Team News
Hodgson will be without key men Josh Reynolds (hamstring) and Ligi Sao (ankle), who both suffered injuries in last Saturday’s win over Salford.
But the Hull head coach does welcome Josh Bowden back into his squad after missing out through concussion protocols last weekend.
Jack Brown has missed the first couple of weeks of the season due to an injury setback, but he was named in Hodgson’s 21-man squad yesterday, with hopes that the young forward will get some minutes under his belt.
Former Super League players Craig Kopczak and Thomas Minns aren’t included in the Featherstone squad, whilst skipper James Lockwood and John Davies also won’t feature tomorrow.
Hull 21-man squad: Connor, Faraimo, Tuimavave, Griffin, Fonua, Sneyd, Taylor, Houghton, Satae, Savelio, Ma’u, Johnstone, Cator, Lane, Fash, McNamara, Brown, Swift, Bowden, Wynne, Scott
Rovers 21-man squad: Hall, Blackmore, Welham, Hardcastle, Gale, Holmes, Chisholm, Brown, Harrison, Ferres, Day, Jones, Bussey, Cooper, Field, Halton, Parata, McConnell, Spence, Whitton, Moors
What’s the lowdown on Rovers?
Having won all five matches they have played throughout 2021, including a hat-trick of wins over Batley Bulldogs, Featherstone will be heading into tomorrow’s cup tie with a spring in their step.
Under the stewardship of former Hull Kingston Rovers coach James Webster, Featherstone have made no secret that promotion to the Betfred Super League is their ambition in 2021.
Whilst the absence of Craig Kopczak, who scored a try in Rovers’ 28-18 win over Batley on Good Friday, could diminish Featherstone’s go-forward against the Black & Whites, there is still plenty of quality in their spine to cause Hull some damage.
Craig Hall, Tom Holmes, Dane Chisholm and Fa’amanu Brown all have either Super League or NRL experience. They are the men that Hull FC’s defenders must keep a watchful eye on.
Ones To Watch
Hull: Josh Griffin – Despite being named in Shaun Wane’s 35-man England training squad earlier this week, there’s no chance Josh Griffin will be resting on his laurels. The powerful outside back made an impressive 217 metres against former club Salford last time out, taking his metres tally for the season up to 331 already after just two games. The 30-year-old has crossed for two tries, too. Turn back the clock almost three years and Griffin will remember an impressive performance against Featherstone in the Challenge Cup, when he made a try and scored one of his own in the first-half.
Rovers: Fa’amanu Brown – Many of the players in Hull FC’s squad tomorrow night may well have crossed paths with Fa’amanu Brown at some earlier stage in their careers, particularly those who played in the Intrust Super Premiership in Australia. With that in mind, they will be all too aware of the threat the hooker poses. Also able to operate as a halfback, Brown has expert ball-handling skills and neat footwork, as he demonstrated on Good Friday when he danced through the Batley defence to score an impressive try. His relationship with halfback Dane Chisholm already looks a dangerous one, as they played a big role together in that Easter win over the Bulldogs.
Key Match Details
Where: Millennium Stadium, Featherstone, UK
When: Saturday 10 April, 7.00pm kick-off
Coverage: OuRLeague app
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