Super League: Hull KR v Warrington Wolves preview
Last Updated: 12/06/14 1:37pm
Fifth-placed Warrington Wolves travel to the KC Lightstream Stadium on Friday night looking to win at the venue for the second time this season.
Tony Smith’s Wolves triumphed 28-24 in the Tetley's Challenge Cup fourth round back in April but Rovers gained revenge the following week, winning 25-12 in the First Utility Super League.
The ninth-placed hosts go into this clash on the back of a defeat to Castleford Tigers a fortnight ago and head coach Craig Sandercock believes stopping Warrington’s offload game will be vital.
It’s going to be a tough one no doubt, they’re playing really well and they’ve won five or six in a row, but in saying that we played really well the last time we played them and we’re hoping we can do the same again.
Craig Sandercock
He told Hull KR TV: “It’s going to be a tough one no doubt, they’re playing really well and they’ve won five or six in a row, but in saying that we played really well the last time we played them and we’re hoping we can do the same again.
“They’re a great team at offloading, they score a lot of tries from an offload or a long pass and that’s something we’re definitely going to have to be on our toes about.
“Defensively we need to be better and we know that. We turned over a lot of cheap ball against Castleford which doesn’t help, but I’m looking forward to seeing on Friday night how much improvement we’ve made defensively over the last couple of weeks.
“When you lose, you probably would rather go straight into another game but in saying that we were able to do a bit with the boys last week.
“We’ve had a myriad of injuries so we were able to give one or two of the boys a run in a different position and have a look at them so it’s been no bad thing.”
Won appeal
Hull KR's Michael Weyman has won his appeal over a two-match ban and is named in Friday’s 19-man squad.
But Rovers will be missing full-back Ben Cockayne, who suffered a knee injury in the defeat to Castleford and is now expected to be ruled out for 10 weeks.
As a result, the Robins have recalled Greg Eden from his loan spell at Salford Red Devils and he has come into the squad for the clash at the KC Lightstream Stadium.
The fifth-placed Wolves go into the clash on the back of a five match winning run, including a 46-10 thumping of Bradford Bulls last time to reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals.
They welcome two new faces, with George King and Joe Philbin making their first appearance since joining the Wolves’ first-team training squad.
But skipper Michael Monaghan is out after tearing a calf muscle in their 46-10 quarter-final win over Bradford.
Hull KR: Burns, Carlile, Costigan, Eden, Gardner, Green, Hall, D Hodgson, J Hodgson, Horne, Keating, Langley, Netherton, Ollett, Salter, Ulugia, A Walker, J Walker, Weyman.
Warrington Wolves: Asotasi, Atkins, Bridge, Currie, Dwyer, England, B Evans, R Evans, Grix, Harrison, Higham, Hill, King, Monaghan, Ormsby, Philbin, Ratchford, Riley, Russell.