Injury-hit Hull may have to dip into transfer market
HULL FC may have to enter the transfer market in light of a deepening injury crisis but head coach Brett Hodgson maintains the glut of problems is just “bad luck.”
With the new Betfred Super League season barely two weeks away, the Black and Whites have been further hit with injuries to two key forwards.
New signing Kane Evans, the Fiji prop who arrived from New Zealand Warriors, injured his pectoral muscle in Saturday’s practice game against London Broncos.
The East Yorkshire club is awaiting a specialist’s report to ascertain the severity of the issue with the hope he may only miss six weeks of action and not the worst case scenario of “substantially more.”
Tonga second-row Manu Mau had already strained a hamstring on the first day of last week’s training camp at Loughborough and is facing eight weeks out.
With England prop Scott Taylor sidelined until the start of April due to two stress fractures in his foot and fellow front-row Chris Satae still battling to be fit for the Round One game at Wakefield Trinity, it is no surprise Hodgson is considering some late recruitment if possible.
“Yes, we are having conversations and looking at options around that,” said the Australian.
“We haven’t nailed down anything at this moment in time.
“But potentially and, in particular in the middle of the park, it is a consideration.”
On the number of injuries the club has suffered so close to the start of the new season, Hodgson admitted: “It is an obvious concern.
“I’d be lying if I said we were totally happy with not having everyone fit at the moment.
“But what we saw last year is a number of injuries at the back end of the year that have taken some time in the off-season to get back up to standard.
“And one or two that have happened recently or in the off-season as well that have been unlucky in certain aspects.
“We’ve had a look at what we’ve done in the pre-season and the reality is they are all different types of injuries.
“Kane was a tackle where his arm was outstretched and that can happen to anyone with a pec tear. Scott was off the back of an injury last year, Manu was when we were down at camp and maybe (due to) some travelling.
“Obviously with his age, that kind of thing (hamstring) can happen.
“There’s no common theme; it’s just been a little of bad luck. We’re in a position now where hopefully we’ve had our run of bad luck in the last year and then a little bit at the start of this pre-season.
“I’d take a lot of heart in watching what Leeds did last year; they were decimated at the start of last season and then came back strong with all their best players on the field.
“We’ll be smart with our decisions early in the season to make sure we’ve got our team hopefully towards the middle and back end of the year.”
Evans was already due to miss the first three rounds of the Super League season due to a fivegame ban he picked up for the Warriors in the NRL last year.
Hodgson said Hull – who lost the last nine games of last term – would be “under-strength” for Sunday’s game at Leeds which is Tom Briscoe’s testimonial fixture and he will not risk any players who are nursing knocks.
However, he did confirm that England scrum-half Luke Gale, recently announced as FC’s new captain, will play against the club he left in November.
Like Hull Player of the Year Satae, fellow prop Josh Bowden (quad) has a chance of being fit for the Wakefield game but will not be risked at Headingley.
Australian stand-off Josh Reynolds (knee), full-back Jamie Shaul (ankle) and Connor Wynne (knee) will all be back in full training next week.
Meanwhile, in positive news for the Black and Whites, centre Josh Griffin – in such fine form before rupturing his Achilles in a freak injury in June – is on course to feature against Trinity.
Hodgson said: “Griff’s done well. He will definitely be ready for Round One.
“He was hugely missed, probably more so than anyone understood, at the back end of last year.
“His leadership, his strength and carries out of back-field and just his presence on the field – he’s such a big man and so hard to tackle.
“We’re grateful to have Griff back for the start.”
I’d be lying if I said we were totally happy with not having everyone fit. Hull FC coach Brett Hodgson on the club’s preseason injury woes.