Get set for tonight’s meeting between Hull FC and Castleford Tigers at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle with our match preview.
There were opposite fortunes for both of these sides in last weekend’s Challenge Cup semi-finals.
A courageous effort from the Black & Whites was not enough to get them to the final, but Castleford booked their date at Wembley with an impressive win over Warrington Wolves.
Team News
That cup win has come at a cost for the Tigers, though, as Daryl Powell has lost five players from the side that defeated Warrington at Leigh Sports Village.
Niall Evalds, Jake Trueman, Cheyse Blair, Daniel Smith and Gareth O’Brien will all miss tonight’s game, with Danny Richardson, George Griffin, Lewis Bienek, Lewis Peachey and Brad Graham replacing them in Castleford’s 21-man squad.
For the Black & Whites, Josh Griffin is ruled out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury. He has been replaced in the squad by Mitieli Vulikijapani after the Fijian was recalled from his loan spell with Bradford Bulls.
Hull 21-man squad: Connor, Faraimo, Tuimavave, Fonua, Reynolds, Sneyd, Houghton, Satae, Savelio, Ma’u, Sao, Johnstone, Lane, Fash, McNamara, Brown, Swift, Bowden, Wynne, Scott, Vulikijapani
Tigers 21-man squad: Olpherts, Mata’utia, Shenton, Richardson, Watts, McShane, Holmes, Milner, Massey, Griffin, Foster, O’Neill, Hepi, Clare, Sene-Lefao, Matagi, Turner, Bienek, Peachey, Martin, Graham
What’s the lowdown on the Tigers?
Castleford reignited their season with a big win over Warrington in the cup on Saturday, lifting morale after a heavy 66-6 defeat to local rivals Leeds Rhinos the week prior.
Tigers fans will be hoping it’s third time lucky at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle tonight. Daryl Powell’s side have lost both of their matches on home soil since supporters have returned.
Having won six of their opening seven matches in all competitions, Castleford’s quality can’t be underestimated. With just one win in their four matches since, it remains to be seen how low their confidence is.
Whilst their defence has been leaky in recent weeks, the Tigers are always capable of posting points with their entertaining style of play.
The resurgence of Jordan Turner since his arrival at The Jungle has perked the attention of many, with the former Hull FC man scoring seven tries in the opening eight rounds of Super League.
Ones To Watch
Hull: Josh Reynolds – His second half performance against St Helens almost helped Hull pull off a miraculous cup comeback on Saturday. The Australian stand-off will be brimming with confidence after his individual performance in the second half, and he’ll be looking to bring that into tonight’s game against a Castleford outfit down on troops. ‘Grub’ hasn’t scored since the Round 7 tie with Catalans Dragons and he’ll be desperate to get on the scoreboard against the Tigers. Keep an eye out for his superb support play – the halfback will always be there to support any break made by a Hull player.
Tigers: Paul McShane – The reigning Steve Prescott Man of Steel is always at the centre of the action for Castleford. The hooker is steely in defence and he’s always scanning in attack. Although he’s yet to score in Super League this season, Hull will still be on alert for his dangerous breaks from dummy half. An average gain of over 10 metres per carry so far in 2021 demonstrates McShane’s quality from dummy half. Keeping the markers square and on their toes could be the difference between winning and losing when coming up against the Tigers.
Key Match Details
Where: Mend-A-Hose Jungle, Castleford, UK
When: Thursday 10 June, 7.45pm kick-off
Coverage: Sky Sports, Sky Sports YouTube channel, OuRLeague app
STORY SPONSOR
