How Hull KR could line up against Leeds Rhinos as injury and suspension force change
Hull KR have now been delivered the news they hoped would never arrive. Elliot Minchella's suspension has been confirmed, and while Rovers have appealed it, their decision to contest the grading, rather than the guilty verdict, makes it clear that the loose forward won't be playing this weekend.
Even if Rovers are successful, Minchella will still receive a Grade B charge and a one-match ban, meaning he will not be able to play when they host Leeds Rhinos this Friday at Craven Park. It's a game that Willie Peters' side needs to win to secure a top-two finish and could be a game they need to win the League Leaders' Shield if Wigan lose to Salford on Thursday.
But they will be doing it not only without Minchella, but Niall Evalds too. The fullback failed a HIA in the win over Leigh meaning he is automatically ruled out of playing on Friday, leaving the Robins without two mainstays from their starting side.
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The good news for Rovers is that they will have Jai Whitbread back, and there's scope for Kelepi Tanginoa to return to the field on the basis that the hamstring injury that saw him miss the win over the Leopards isn't serious. Nevertheless, changes will be required, and the task for Peters revolves around how they intend to do it.
Evalds's replacement appears obvious. He missed the game against Wigan Warriors and was replaced by Jack Broadbent, who didn't feature last Friday. As a result, it appears that the former Rhino is in pole position to resume that duty against his former employers on Friday night.
The other change isn't quite as obvious given that Minchella has only missed two games all season, one of which was against London Broncos when Rovers rested other first-team players.
However, Minchella did miss the Super League defeat to Warrington Wolves earlier in the season when Rovers were nursing him before the Challenge Cup semi-final. On that night, it was versatile forward Dean Hadley who played at loose forward, and that appears to be a likely outcome on Friday too.
The return of Whitbread allows him to slot back into the starting prop role Hadley was deployed in last week, which then frees him up to play instead of Minchella. That would see Matty Storton retain his place in the back-row, a position he has performed well in when called upon this year. It's possible that Peters may decide to bench one of his regular starting props, dependent on his interchange strategy during the game.
The rest of the team picks itself, with the only other decision being around Tanginoa, who you would expect to regain his position in the side ahead of Tom Opacic should he be given the green light to feature.
Possible Hull KR team for Leeds Rhinos clash: Broadbent, Burgess, Hiku, Gildart, Hall, May, Lewis, Sue, Parcell, Whitbread, Storton, Batchelor, Hadley. Subs: Litten, Luckley, Brown, Tanginoa.
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