Predicted Hull FC team to face St Helens as Brett Hodgson to make tough calls

It’s fair to say Brett Hodgson has a couple of tough selection decisions to make ahead of trip to the Totally Wicked Stadium. The Black and Whites will be looking for their fourth straight Super League win when they take on St Helens on Friday and they have been boosted by the returns of four players.

Josh Reynolds and Luke Gale are eligible to be involved after completing their respective bans, while Josh Griffin and Adam Swift have been deemed fit enough after overcoming injury. There’s no Kane Evans, though, with the prop dropping out of the squad with a minor pectoral concern.

With that in mind, Hull Live attempts to predict the team Hodgson will select to face the champions.

With Adam Swift and Josh Griffin returning to the fold, the first major selection dilemma Hodgson faces is in the outside backs. Neither Connor Wynne nor Jamie Shaul deserve to lose their spot in the side but it seems at least one will to make way for the returning duo, who are firmly established as Hodgson’s preferred options on the left edge.

Swift hasn’t been in top form this season but he’ll be keen to impress against his hometown club, while Griffin has been a consistent force at centre. As such, both could feasibly come into the starting line-up, with one of Shaul or Wynne making it onto the bench.

Given the hat-trick he scored last time out, Wynne could be the man to keep his spot in the 17-man squad. The next decision to be made is in the halves. Luke Gale and Josh Reynolds are ready to step back into the side, but given the form of Joe Lovodua, the head coach may be tempted to bring just one of his senior pivots back into the side.

Reynolds played well in his last game against Catalans Dragons, but as the club captain, it could well