This Saturday Hull will travel across the Pennines to Lancashire to take on a side who sit two points and three places above them in the league.
Preston have had an extraordinary season so far drawing one game and winning two whilst losing three but of those five games the margins margins been of a maximum of two points with the loss to Otley the only game where a larger margin was obtained by a more convincing Otley victory.
Preston score freely averaging almost 30 points a game. However they are conceding at a slightly higher rate! Hull have recovered well after a couple of losses and with a small slice of good fortune would surely have beaten a good Sheffield side last week.
Hull may not have had the rub of the green against Sheffield but a couple of lineouts lost on their own ball and a defensive scrum lost on their own put in plus a pass or two that went astray is all that prevented them from winning against one the leagues front runners.
This week Hull will be without the influential substitute prop Charlie Beech but otherwise the side that played last week should be available. The front five of Jamie Major, Mike Jobling, Tom Bairstow, Billy Addy and Liam Regardsoe gave everything against Sheffield and with the back row of Evi Uriburu-Gray, Adam Brankley and Will Hall working well, the pack will give Preston a few problems if last week’s form is continued.
The backs may see a change at scrum-half as last week saw the combative Harvey Harding limp off to be replaced by Sam Crane who brings his own set of skills should he start.
Centres Ali Heard and Bureta Faraimo and wingers Peter Hudson -Kowaleicz and Keane Naylor with full-back Duell Trueman all did well, but Fynlay Hobson and Harry Dawkins are very able deputies if they should be brought into the equation.
The bench will be a difficult call but David Halafoinua made his presence felt coming on as a winger in the second half and Jack Baldry could well be involved as a front row cum back row replacement.
The talented second rower Anthony McCormack could be back in the squad depending on his fitness after playing a number of college games.
Hull’s spirit last week was faultless and if they can play with the same intensity for eighty minutes they could we’ll return home with something to show for their efforts.
HULL RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB 