Hull FC v Leeds Rhinos: latest team news as debutant Jack Bird's favoured role revealed
‘The game will decide’ where Jack Bird plays when he makes his Leeds Rhinos debut away to Hull FC today (Sunday), coach Brad Arthur says.
The Australian former State of Origin player joined Rhinos last month after being released from his contract at Wests Tigers. He has been 18th man for the past two games and Arthur confirmed he will make his debut as a substitute in the Betfred Super League round five clash at Hull.
Of where Bird will play when he gets on, Arthur said: “I can’t predict that now, but what I do know is he can go to the centre, he can go in the halves, he can go to back-row and to 13. He can pretty much cover any position for us, similar to Chris Hankinson. The game will decide what time he gets on and which position he plays.”
In the longer-term, Bird is a potential successor to centre Harry Newman who will leave Rhinos at the end of this season to join new NRL club Perth Bears. Arthur confirmed: “He wants, at some stage, to be chasing a centre spot or a back-row spot, but he understands the situation right at the minute.
“It is great, it keeps that healthy competition. At the moment, touch wood, we are reasonably healthy, but that can’t last all year. It just doesn’t happen, unfortunately. We’ll get injuries so at least we’ve got the depth to deal with it.”
Hankinson has been operating as a utility-player off the bench for most of this season and asked if there’s room for both players in the same 17, Arthur said: “That’s going to be tough. There is this week, but what happens on a weekly basis, I’ve got no idea of where we get to next week. But for this week, there is room for both of them.”
Brodie Croft has recovered from the hamstring problem which has kept him out of Rhinos’ last two games and will return at stand-off. He replaced teenager George Brown who is facing four-five months on the sidelines with a knee injury. Forward Ben Littlewood has been drafted into Rhinos’ 21.
Hull are without former Rhinos scrum-half Aidan Sezer (pectoral muscle injury) and forward Yusuf Aydin (ankle issue) from the side beaten at Leigh Leopards in the Challenge Cup last week. They are replaced in the initial squad by Will Hutchinson and Ben Johnson.
Hull FC: from Litten, Hardaker, Martin, Arthur, Bourouh, Hill, Asiata, Cust, Bell, Lisone, Sao, Briscoe, Romano, Bailey, Fash, Moy, Laidlaw, Kemp, Hutchinson, Kirby, Johnson.
Leeds Rhinos: from Miller, Sivo, Newman, Handley, Hall, Croft, Connor, Oledzki, O’Connor, Holroyd, Watkins, McDonnell, Palasia, Hankinson, Jenkins, O'Neill, Smith, Mata’utia, Levi, Littlewood, Bird.
Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan). Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.