Leeds Rhinos will get a boost from Zane Tetevano's comeback against Hull FC says coach Richard Agar

The Cook Island and New Zealand international has played only five times since joining Rhinos from Penrith Panthers in pre-season.

He served a four-match ban after being sent-off in a Betfred Challenge Cup defeat at St Helens in April and then contracted Covid last month.

“He has had a stop-start beginning to his Leeds career, which has been frustrating for him,” Agar said.

“Covid hit him pretty hard, he did really struggle with it and when he came back to training he had a little bit of soreness in his Achilles.”

But the coach insisted: “He has had a pretty major impact around the place in his ethic, his smartness and intensity in training.

“We have very much missed a player of his quality and hopefully from here on in we can get some consistent football out of him, which I am sure we will.

“It’s a big boost for everybody to know he’s going to be taking the field.”

Fellow props Mikolaj Oledzki (foot injury and isolation) and Tom Holroyd (ankle) are also back in contention and second-rower Sam Walters is vying for a recall, but Liam Sutcliffe (concussion) drops out from the team which beat Salford Red Devils last Friday.

Agar said: “We’ve got a bit more size and power available this week, which I think will be needed going to one of the biggest sides in the comp’.

Bureta Faraimo, Josh Reynolds, Manu Ma’u, Joe Cator and Connor Wynne are all back in contention for Hull.

Jack Logan could also return, but Andre Savelio begins a three-game ban and Aidan Burrell, an unused substitute against Huddersfield Giants last week, drops out.

Hull: from Faraimo, Tuimavave, Fonua, Reynolds, Sneyd, Houghton, Satae, Ma’u, Sao, Johnstone, Cator, Lane, Fash, McNamara, Brown, Swift, Bowden, Wynne, Scott, Vulikijapani, Logan.

Leeds Rhinos: from T Briscoe, Newman, Hurrell, Handley, Gale, Oledzki, Leeming, Prior, Mellor, Martin, Tetevano, Dwyer, Myler, Smith, Holroyd, Vuniyayawa, Walters, McLelland, L Briscoe, Donaldson, O’Connor.

Referee: Liam Moore (Wigan).

Kick-off: Thursday, 7.45pm.