Hull FC head coach Brett Hodgson gives a positive update on clubs missing players

Hull FC head coach Brett Hodgson is hoping on fielding a much stronger squad against Castleford next week. The Black and Whites had over a dozen players missing in the Wigan defeat, with a young and experienced side well-beaten by a ruthless Warriors outfit.

The 60-0 result puts Hull back into sixth position in Super League, with Castleford moving into fifth spot following their win over Warrington. Thankfully, Leeds’ defeat at Toulouse keeps Hodgson’s side three points clear of the Rhinos with eight regular season games to go.

That all puts huge context on Friday’s game with the Hull head coach set to welcome back at least four players back into his side. For now, though, it’s about getting the mindset right after what was a really tough night at Wigan.

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“We’ve got a week now before our next game,” Hodgson said. “We’ve got to make sure we look after the boys and get it right.

“They’re all hurting extremely at the moment and rightfully so. We have to pick ourselves up and we have to make sure we respond.

“We will have a number of players coming back into the side. Ligi Sao, Kane Evans and Jordan Johnston will all be available. Connor Wynne too. Manu Ma’u should hopefully be okay as well. There’s five.”

Hodgson also put a spanner into the fitness of Jake Connor. The fullback has been missing for the last six weeks with a knee injury having been given an original diagnosis of around 10-12 weeks.

However, Hull Live understands he is making good progress on that, with Hodgson confirming as much. He couldn’t put a timescale on a return, though, but all signs are pointing in a more positive direction.

“Connor is a little bit closer,”