Who’ll get the nod for FC’S play-off?
Andy Last will spend some time pondering over his team selection for Thursday’s play-off clash against Warrington
Wolves.
The Black and Whites’ interim head coach is approaching the biggest game of his time in charge so far and he has a near fully-fit squad to choose from.
Adam Swift and Jamie Shaul will miss the clash through injury, while Gareth Ellis is still missing with a troublesome knee injury.
With that in mind, we take a look at what will be going through Last’s mind when it comes to selecting his side.
The pack
It seems likely Last will stick with Jordan Johnstone from the start, the interim head coach likes the energy he brings in the opening stages of the game, and it means Danny Houghton can be introduced late in the first half and concentrate his workload.
Scott Taylor is the most obvious candidate to start in the front-row for the Black and Whites and after being overlooked for the England squad, he’ll certainly be keen to put on a show for Shaun Wane, who will undoubtedly be watching closely.
Who partners Taylor, though, is up in the air. Josh Bowden performed well against Hull KR but his form has been inconsistent, while Last has shown a preference to bring the likes of Ligi Sao and Chris Satae in off the bench.
Brad Fash provides balance, with his tidy middle play giving Satae or Sao a little more freedom, particularly in the second half.
However, for a clash of this magnitude experience is likely to be key, too, and Bowden and Taylor have plenty of that having played in heaps of big games for the club.
Joe Cator, who for many has been Hull’s signing of the season, looks locked into the loose-forward role, while dropping Manu Ma’u or Andre Savelio on current form wouldn’t feel right, despite Jordan Lane and Josh Jones being fit to play once more. In an ideal world Last would be able to name at least one of Lane or Jones on the bench.
Halves
With Albert Kelly back in Australia and Shaul out until next season,
Last has some thinking to do when it comes to the spine and halves.
The interim head coach has made it clear that he is keen to play Jake Connor and Marc Sneyd together in the pivots and he would have done against Hull KR had Josh Griffin been able to play.
Griffin was down to play at fullback but missed the game after being forced to isolate and he still has to pass the club’s return to play protocol before he can be considered available for selection. Without Griffin, Connor was droped back and he played out of his skin to tear the Robins apart at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
After such a performance, Last may be reluctant to move him away from that role.
Ben Mcnamara came into the stand-off position and did well, but it remains to be seen whether he’s ready to handle such a high pressure occasion and if Griffin is free to play, this decision may be key. If Last feels Mcnamara is ready for knockout footy, he’ll have no hesitation in throwing him in the deep end and keeping Connor at full-back, if he feels it’s not right to expose the youngster a change might come.
Of course, Carlos Tuimavave is able to play at stand-off, but there doesn’t seem to be much appetite to move him away from his favoured centre spot.
Backs
It’s safe to say Ratu Naulago and Tuimavave will play together on the right and Bureta Faraimo will occupy the left edge.
The only spot up for debate, it would seem, is that left centre spot. If Mcnamara plays, Griffin can expect to play in centre in place of Mahe Fonua. However, if Griffin is forced to play at full-back, a role he has played for periods in games this season, Fonua is the obvious choice to partner Faraimo.