Warrington v Hull: Teams
Warrington have included their four new signings for Friday's opener against injury-hit Hull.
By Andy Clarke
Last Updated: 08/02/08 10:08pm
Warrington coach Paul Cullen has named his four winter signings in his 20-man squad for Friday's Super League opener against Hull.
Louis Anderson, Michael Monaghan, Chris Hicks and Matt King are all in line to make their debuts at the Halliwell-Jones Stadium.
The Wolves will be without Stuart Reardon and Paul Wood, who are both recovering from shoulder surgery.
Hull have a host of injury problems, with seven key players missing from coach Peter Sharp's squad, including new signing Adam Dykes.
Australian half-back Dykes has suffered a thigh injury and his debut in Super League is likely to be delayed until March.
Sharp's preparations for the game were severely affected by injuries to captain Lee Radford, Richard Whiting, Gareth Raynor, Richard Horne and Kirk Yeaman, while Matt Sing has failed to prove his fitness and misses out.
Doubts remain over the fitness of Shaun Berrigan, Ewan Dowes and Motu Tony, although all three have been named in the initial 20-man party.
Todd Byrne and Peter Cusack, recruited from New Zealand Warriors and South Sydney respectively, are in line to make their debuts for the Black and Whites.
Cusack will captain the side in Radford's absence and Sharp said: "Peter is tremendously experienced and he has already shown good leadership qualities on the training pitch and in the gym.
"He has respect and will offer us just what we're looking for on the field, and he also gets in a lot of game time during matches."
The 31-year-old, who appeared in four NRL Grand Finals with Sydney City Roosters, said: "It is an honour, especially for a new club.
"But what is important is that we play to our game plan and do the things we have done in training. If we do that then we put ourselves in with a chance."
Warrington squad: Hicks, M Gleeson, King, Penny, Briers, Monaghan, Morley, Clarke, Rauhihi, L. Anderson, Westwood, V. Anderson, M. Gleeson, Parker, Johnson, Pickersgill, Grix, Riley, Bracek, Bridge.
Hull squad: Berrigan, Byrne, Carvell, Cusack, Dowes, Dale, Hall, G. Horne, Houghton, King, Lee, Manu, Tony, Washbrook, Tickle, Wheeldon, Burnett, Briscoe, Thackeray, Williams.