Hull FC v Castleford Tigers - Powell's men ready to kick-start climb up Super League table

Tigers - who face Hull at KCOM Stadium on Sunday - have won only once since lockdown ended in August and slipped from second in the table to eighth.

Powell admitted qualifying for the top-four “looks tough” and he stressed: “The problem is at the moment you don’t really know what it is going to take.

“We just need to get performances and results right and see where it takes us.”

This year’s final table will be decided on win percentage, rather than competition points.

Powell added: “It is awkward, no one really knows exactly what they have got to do to get where they need to be.

“This season has been full of surprises and twists and turns, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of that yet so we’ve just got to get on with it.”

Castleford have not played since a 32-28 home defeat by Hull two weeks ago.

Their game at Leeds last week was called off because of injuries and coronavirus and Powell said: “Tuesday was hard work because we didn’t have our test results back.

“The training was limited, but we trained [on Thursday] and the boys looked good.

“The two half-backs, Jake Trueman and Danny Richardson, trained for the first time for a fair few weeks so hopefully they will come through, but we have got a lot of outside-backs still missing.

“That’s a bit of an issue, but we are all right, we’ve got our ability to function as a team back.

“It has been a tough period for us, but the boys look good, the spirits good and they are training well.

“There’s a good intent about us, we are working hard and we are not far off.

“We just need a result that will get us kick-started a little bit.”

Trueman has missed several games with a back injury and Richardson was sidelined due to shoulder damage.

Forward Jesse Sene-Lefao is ialso ncluded in Tigers’ initial 21-man squad after injury and youngsters Brad Graham and Bailey Richardson could make their debut.

Derrell Olpherts, James Clare, Greg Eden, Calum Turner and Dan Fleming drop out from the squad named to face Leeds.

Albert Kelly (hamstring) and Manu Ma’u (illness) are back in contention for Hull.

Hull: from Shaul, Faraimo, Tuimavave, Griffin, Connor, Sneyd, Houghton, Satae, Ma’u, Sao, Kelly, Cator, Johnstone, Matongo, Fash, Bowden, Savelio. Fonua, Brown, Scott, Naulago.

Castleford Tigers: from Shenton, Trueman, Richardson, McShane, Millington, McMeeken, Milner, Massey, Sene-Lefao, Foster, Blair, Moors, O’Neill, Cook, Hepi, Peachey, Graham, Martin, Hodgson, O’Brien, Sanderson.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes).

Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.

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