Super League: London Broncos v Hull FC preview
Hull FC will need to be wary of an improving Broncos team if they are to justify favouritism at The Hive on Saturday.
By Jonathan Doidge
Last Updated: 31/05/14 2:27pm
The Airlie Birds have lost their last four in succession to slip out of the play-off places and into 10th in the Super League table, with their most recent win being gained against this week's opponents at the KC Stadium on Easter Monday.
Head coach Lee Radford has recalled prop Chris Tuson to the squad after the former Wigan forward completed his recovery from a hamstring injury that he suffered in the defeat to Wakefield earlier in the month.
Radford also retains Callum Lancaster, who was a late call-up to last week's team and made his debut in the reverse at Headingley Carnegie. The coach was very happy with the performance of the 17-year-old against arguably the best back line in the competition and has underlined that by keeping faith with the youngster.
As a result, Liam Watts and Liam Colbon have both lost their places in the 19-man squad for this weekend.
Subsequent encounters
FC last lost to the capital club at Murrayfield Magic in May 2010 and have won seven and drawn one of their eight subsequent encounters, so they do at least have recent history on their side. You have to go back even further, to March 2009, to find their last defeat against the Broncos in London.
The Broncos have lost all of their 14 Super League fixtures so far, but recently they have shown signs of improvement, leading at half-time against Huddersfield before losing 30-16 in Round 12, before being edged out 24-22 by Catalan a week later.
Coach Joe Grima has made just one change to last week's squad, with Maxime Herold coming in to replace James Cunningham. Grima told the club's website
"They (Hull FC) haven't been in the best of form, so they'll be looking for a turnaround in their performance.
"I guess both of us are on the same page, we're not in the best form and one of us would like to have that change of fortune."
London Broncos squad: Atkins, Bishay, Caton-Brown, Cook, Drinkwater, Farrar, Foster, Greenwood, Griffin, Herold, Krasniqi, Matiatonga, McMeeken, Minns, Moore, Slyney, Solomona, Vea, Wallace
Hull FC squad: Bowden, Crooks, Ellis, Hadley, Heremaia, Horne, Houghton, Lancaster, Miller, Paea, Paleaaesina, Rankin, Sa, Shaul, Talanoa, Thompson, Tuson, Westerman, Yeaman