THREE CHANGES TO HULL SQUAD
Lee Radford has recalled three players to his preliminary 19 man squad for Friday's clash with Wigan at the KC Stadium.

Stand off Jordan Rankin loses his place in the the side, as the head coach opts for the experience of half back Richard Horne to out wit the Warrior's in two days time.
Meanwhile Chris Tuson also misses out on his chance to play against his former club, with an injury ruling him out of action for the match.
Dean Hadley is the final man to drop out of Radford's side, with Liam Colbon and Liam Watts moving in to contention for a starting position, and becoming the only other two amendments to the 19 man squad that preceded last Sunday's Wigan match.
Joe Westerman's inclusion is also good news for the Airlie Birds, after initial worries of a wrist injury following Sunday's defeat to Wakefield would rule out the hulking loose forward.
Hull FC Squad: Bowden, Carvell, Crookes, Crooks, Colbon, Ellis, Heremaia, Horne, Houghton, Miller, Paea, Paleaaesina, Shaul, Talanoa, Thompson, Watts, Westerman, Whiting, Yeaman

That will cheese the Miller knockers off.

Colbon and Westerman to miss out.......allow Westerman a extra week recovery.

Surprised at Rankin missing out. For me, he's the only one of our three "recognised" halves that's shown much of a spark this season. He's got the best kicking game out of all of them.

I'm really struggling to see what Rankin and Hadley did to deserve to be dropped.

Deffo Rankin. He's a massive threat in the opponents 20M (not that we get there that often !).

Agreed, obviously desperate to include horne who is a similar player not the answer for me though but we'll see. Rankin has been our best half Thought Hadley was poor at the weekend but he certainly wasn't on his own there.

Me too.

must admit more and more I fail to understand some of these selections, Horne in for Rankin don't really agree but understand Why bring Colburn back into squad can only play on wing and existing 2 offers more pace and aggression. Hadley unlucky but may benefit for week off. Does this mean end of Thompson at prop and let him play as 2nd row

I also think Horne and Rankin are too similar so I'm not convinced they work well as a combo. We've yet to see Miller and Horne together this year so lets hope it goes well.

I'm wondering if it's rotation for Hadley. Didn't he end up playing 80 minutes because of the losses of Westerman and Tuson? That's a big ask for someone still in single figures for career appearances.

My 17...

Shaul
Crookes
Crooks
Yeamo
Talanoa
Horne
Miller
Paea
Houghton
Bowden
Ellis
Whiting/Thompson
Westy/Whiting

Azza
Carvs
Feka
Whiting/Thompson/Watts

With no Hadley or Tuson I say give Whiting a chance there with Thompson on the bench (the other way around works for me too). However if there's any doubts over Westerman then play Whiting at LF and Thompson in the SR and give Westy a rest for the week with Watts taking the final bench spot.

Disagree on Hadley, think that's quite harsh tbh.

I think Hadley took over Westerman's role in the middle against Wakefield, and his passing game looked good to me. Probably 80 minutes was just a bit too much for him.

Matt Bowen and Liam Farrell are added to the Warriors growing list of absentees ahead of the Champions trip to the KC Stadium to take on Hull FC on Friday.

Bowen and Farrell picked up injuries in Wigan's defeat to Leeds Rhinos last week and join Eddy Pettybourne, Ben Flower, Iain Thornley, Josh Charnley and Greg Burke on the side-lines. Captain Sean O'Loughlin is again unavailable with the same groin problem that kept him out of last week's clash, while Ryan Hampshire also misses out after picking up a knock playing for the under 19's side.

Academy products Ryan Sutton, Dom Manfredi and Connor Farrell are drafted in to the travelling party.

Wigan Warriors 19-Man Squad

John Bateman, Joe Burgess, Tony Clubb, Dom Crosby, Gil Dudson, Connor Farrell, Anthony Gelling, Darrell Goulding, Blake Green, Jack Hughes, Jordan James, Dom Manfredi, Michael McIlorum, Sam Powell, Dan Sarginson, Matty Smith, Ryan Sutton, Scott Taylor, George Williams.

Referee - Robert Hicks

Shaul
Crookes
Crooks
Yeaman
Talanoa
Horne
Miller
Paea
Houghton
Carvell
Thompson
Ellis
Westerman/Watts

Heremaia
Feka
Bowden
Whiting

Colbon & Watts to miss out if Westy's fit.

Why on earth would you leave your best half back out! Why he has dropped Rankin I don't know. He always plays with passion.

A brave move dropping someone who has scored 6 tries in the last 5 games.

Or a sign that the coach doesn't know what he's doing?

Apparently Rankin has an ankle injury. Why that wasn't in the press release god alone knows. This and other threads would be a lot shorter...

Oh dear oh dear, rankin loses his place!!!! what more can you say about that....

I'd have gone with
Shaul

Crookes
Crooks
Whiting
Talanoa

Bowden
Azza
Paea
Ellis
Watts
Hadley

bench: Houghton, Green, Carvs, Thompson

start with strength then bring quicker players on when defence tires

No halfbacks - might work I suppose.

oops lol got a job in between typing lol

Rankin and Horney in halves

Colbon in says to me one of the wingers might but struggling.

Has Rankin been that good, he had beem scoring, but not doing too much the rest of the game. I think he has the potential to be a good player? hopefully a more experienced half will help Miller.

I think Radford has lost the plot now if Rankin is dropped and not injured.
He is the half back who scores our tries and is the best kicker we have.
Surely putting Horne back to 7 to partner Rankin would have been the obvious choice given What Miller is bringing to the team.
Why bring Colbon into the 19 unless someone is nursing an injury
Good news about Westerman but leave him out till next weekend.

Not been funny, but if we can't beat that Wigan team at home, we are in serious , I expect us to win