Brett Hodgson has looked ahead to Sunday’s clash against Leigh Centurions at the MKM Stadium, as the Black & Whites aim to make it four league victories in a row as they enter a hectic July period of fixtures.
Hodgson is set to miss the clash due to entering a period of self-isolation, however will still be involved in the Black & Whites pre-match preparation, as well as being involved in the side’s match day efforts from home.
Several other players will be missing for the Airlie Birds due to positive cases and track and trace, but Hull will be boosted by the return of several key stars for the match.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, brought to you in association with Jacuzzi®, Hodgson said: “I feel fine. I tested negative on Wednesday but everyone in society is in the same situation at the moment though meaning if you’re a risk, you stand down, so its the same for us and myself.
“We’ll be putting the game first and I have full faith in the players that will take to the field and the coaching staff who will lead in my absence.
“It’s frustrating to miss the game having done all the right things in trying to avoid catching Covid-19, but as we all know, it can affect anyone, so we’re just getting on with it. I’ll be watching from home and will remain in constant dialogue with the coaches to ensure I’m still involved as much as I can be from a far, with some input at half-time.
He added: “Kieron Purtill and Gareth Ellis have been superb from day one, and I’m really happy with how they’ve handled their roles so far. Kieron is a very experienced coach and our opinions of the game are pretty aligned, so I’m sure he’ll do a good job.”
On the return of some key men to the squad, he continued: “Carlos Tuimavave is available for selection this week, along with Adam Swift, Jordan Lane and Danny Houghton who are all back in contention.”
But Hodgson explained that several of the Airlie Birds’ senior players will remain sidelined for the coming weeks.
“Josh Bowden won’t be available, Jake Connor is still a while away, and Scott Taylor too – about five or six weeks with his lisfranc injury.
“Masi Matongo has been working exceptionally hard, and it’s great to have him back out on the field in some aspect training with the boys. We think he’s still about four weeks ago but that all depends on how he progresses.”
Assessing his side’s build-up to the game having not played for two weeks, as well as the potential threat Leigh could pose as they hunt for their first win of the season, Hodgson said: “We’ve given the boys a little bit of time off to get away from footy given that our break for the Challenge Cup next weekend now isn’t happening due to the derby being moved into that slot.
“That has given us the chance to freshen up and get some work into the players. The Covid scenario has thrown some spanners in the works but I’m confident we can get around it and come out the other side.”
On Leigh, he added: “Leigh are a dangerous attacking team; they throw plenty of shapes at opposition teams and score plenty of points, even though they have lost those games.
“So defensively we need to make sure we are sound and working for each other once again.
“The message from their coach is that they’re one win away from starting to turn things around. The important thing is that we makes sure we perform to the level we are capable of, and the result should take care of itself. We want to ensure complacency doesn’t slip in.
“If we keep hold of the ball, minimise their chances, and give them their position where we want them on the field, which is coming out of their corners and not allowing the likes of Brierley, Mellor and Liam Hood to break away, we will be in a good position.”
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