Hull FC v Bulls: Teams
Hull FC have only pride to play for in their final game of the season against play-off chasing Bradford.
By Phil Jackson
Last Updated: 11/09/09 5:52pm
Hull FC have only pride to play for in their final game of the season against play-off chasing Bradford on Friday.
A 34-22 defeat at Wigan last time out ended the Airlie Birds' hopes of reaching the end-of-season competition, but coach Richard Agar is still hoping his team can go out on a high.
While the likes of Motu Tony, Todd Byrne and Dominic Maloney have already played their last game for the club, players such as Graeme Horne, Chris Thorman and Paul King could also be playing their final games at the KC, so Agar is confident his side will be fully motivated.
"For the players, this is the last chance some of them will have to play alongside each other and they are keen to finish on the right note at home," he said.
"After the game at Wigan it came from the group that we have set our stall out to have a good week.
"We need to go out with a good performance and a win and if we can do that it will leave everyone on a positive finish and very much looking forward."
In the only piece of team news, former Leeds full-back Jordan Tansey returns to the squad for Friday's clash, having served his suspension at the JJB Stadium.
Incentive
Bradford, meanwhile, will be looking to avenge a 36-24 defeat at home in mid-March as well as looking to pip Catalans to the final play-off spot.
The Dragons currently sit a point ahead of the Bulls in eighth place, but face second placed St Helens away on the same night.
Four successive wins have catapulted Steve McNamara's men into contention and, with no fresh injuries or suspensions, the coach has been able to name the same 19-man squad that overcame Salford last time out.
And the coach is clearly keen to keep the weight of expectation of his players going into the game, as he said: "There is certainly no extra pressure on us because we are just looking forward to going to a great stadium and playing some good rugby league.
"It's certainly as big a game as the last few have been for us when we made a commitment to finish in the best possible form and we have managed that and put ourselves in a reasonable position.
"As I have said before, we have not been too far off all year. We have just had a few things fall into place for us in the last few weeks and once the play-offs were out of our hands we just decided to do what we are good at, play with a smile on our faces and see what happens.
"We have gone some way to doing that and we have another opportunity this week."
Hull FC: Briscoe, Cordoba, Dowes, Hall, Hodgson, Houghton, G Horne, R Horne, King, Lauaki, Manu, Moa, Radford, Raynor, Tansey, Thorman, Tickle, Washbrook, Whiting.
Bradford Bulls: Sykes, Langley, Sheriffe, Kopczak, Donaldson, Scruton, Menzies, Jeffries, Godwin, Cook, Halley, Nero, Lynch, Tadulala, Morrison, Burgess, Worrincy, Platt, Deacon.