Hull FC Travel to Warrington with 14 Players Unavailable and Herman Ese'ese Set to Return

Hull FC will face Warrington Wolves at Halliwell Jones Stadium on Friday evening with interim head coach Andy Last naming four changes to the squad, as the Black & Whites manage an injury crisis affecting 14 players. Herman Ese'ese, the front row forward absent since suffering an Achilles injury nine months ago, has been named on the bench and is set to make his first appearance of the season.

Squad Adjustments and Key Returnees

Last has made significant alterations to the team that played against Leigh Leopards, with Aidan Sezer returning to the starting lineup after being dropped for the previous fixture. Sezer will operate in the halves alongside Jake Arthur. Amir Bourouh and Matty Laidlaw have both completed head injury protocols and feature in the squad, with Bourouh starting at hooker and Laidlaw included among the replacements.

Ben Johnson, Lennon Clark, Will Hutchinson, and Callum Kemp have been displaced from the starting thirteen, with Kemp now designated as the eighteenth man. Logan Moy retains his position at full-back, with Harvey Barron and Tom Briscoe on the wings. The centres pairing comprises Zak Hardaker and Lloyd Kemp, while the forward pack features Jeremiah Mata'utia and Harvie Hill at prop, Joe Batchelor and Ethan O'Neill in the back row, and Cade Cust selected at loose-forward.

Injury and Suspension Impact

Hull face a substantial squad depletion ahead of the Warrington encounter. Twelve players remain unavailable through injury: Will Pryce (ACL), Davy Litten (knee), Lewis Martin (ankle), Jed Cartwright (hamstring), John Asiata (hamstring), James Bell (knee), Sam Lisone (pectoral), Ligi Sao (shoulder), Connor Bailey (collarbone), Arthur Romano (ankle), Brad Fash (knee), and Joe Ward (ACL). Additionally, Yusuf Aydin and Roman Dawson are suspended, bringing the total contingent of unavailable players to fourteen.

Despite these constraints, Hull have managed to integrate returning personnel into the squad structure. Ese'ese's comeback provides depth in the front row, while Bourouh and Laidlaw's clearance to play offers Last flexibility in reshaping his team ahead of Friday's fixture.