Squad watch: Super League team news, including TV coverage and kick-off times

Ben Olawumi 08 May 2024 3:45 PM

Welcome to Squad watch here on Love Rugby League, your go-to place for the latest Super League team news ahead of every round of action.

Squad watch is a weekly feature at Love Rugby League in 2024, which includes all the 21-man squads as and when they are announced for every round of fixtures.

Warrington Wolves v Hull KR (Thursday, 8pm, Sky Sports Arena, Super League+)

Matty Ashton returns for Warrington Wolves

Warrington head coach Sam Burgess makes three changes to his 21-man squad from last week’s win against Hull FC as the trio of Matty Ashton, Jordan Crowther and James Harrison return to the fold.

Young duo Cai Taylor-Wray and Tom Whitehead drop out alongside Joe Bullock, who was the unused 18th man last time out.

Visitors KR lost Oliver Gildart ahead of last weekend’s win at home against St Helens, with the centre dropping out in the warm-up due to a knee injury. He needs surgery and will be out for the next six weeks.

The man replacing him in their 21, in what is the only change to Willie Peters’ squad, is new recruit Jack Brown. He made the move to Craven Park on a two-and-a-half year deal earlier this week from rivals Hull FC.

Warrington: Ashton, Crowther, Currie, Drinkwater, Dufty, Fitzgibbon, Harrison, Holroyd, King, Lindop, Musgrove, Nicholson, Philbin, Powell, Ratchford, Tai, Thewlis, Vaughan, Walker, Williams, Wood

Hull KR: Hiku, Evalds, Opacic, Hall, Lewis, Sue, Litten, King, Hadley, Batchelor, Minchella, Parcell, Luckley, Whitbread, Storton, Tanginoa, May, Tennison, Burgess, Broadbent, Brown

Castleford Tigers v St Helens (Friday, 8pm, Sky Sports Arena, Super League+)

Tommy Makinson returns for St Helens after missing out with chicken pox last weekend

There are two changes for Castleford, who secured a 28-28 draw at Leigh last Saturday, with neither of those two sides able to find a winner in 10 minutes of Golden Point action.

Ahead of Saints’ visit to the Jungle, Tigers coach Craig Lingard names loanee Sam Eseh in his 21 as well as Fletcher Rooney. They replace Samy Kibula and Sam Hall, with the latter failing a HIA last weekend.

As for Saints, boss Paul Wellens is able to welcome back stalwart winger Tommy Makinson who missed out last weekend at Hull KR through a case of chicken pox. Sam Royle also returns.

Morgan Knowles and Matt Whitley aren’t involved, with Knowles picking up a groin issue during training this week and Whitley having been forced off against KR with a shoulder issue. He is expected to miss the next few weeks.

Castleford: Wood, I. Senior, Richardson, Miller, Watts, McShane, El-Zakhem, Mellor, Westerman, Horne, Griffin, Milnes, Hodson, Robb, Martin, Hill, Rooney, L. Senior, Hoy, Hall, Eseh

St Helens: Welsby, Makinson, Blake, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Clark, Lees, Mata’utia, Batchelor, Mbye, Bell, Sironen, Wingfield, Delaney, Davies, Royle, Hurrell, Ritson, Stephens

Leigh Leopards v Salford Red Devils (Friday, 8.05pm, Sky Sports Action, BBC Three, Super League+)

Robbie Mulhern is back in the mix for Leigh Leopards

After their draw with Castleford, Leigh see captain John Asiata drop out of their 21 as well as Louis Brogan. Skipper Asiata is out for around four to six weeks.

Robbie Mulhern and Ed Chamberlain are the duo to come into the fold in their places. Prop Mulhern is making a return from injury, while centre Chamberlain was recalled from his loan spell at Hull FC earlier this week.

Salford see a total of five players drop out from their win at Huddersfield last weekend, and are only able to name a 20-man squad. Shane Wright, Joe Shorrocks, Andrew Dixon, Joe Mellor and Gil Dudson are the quintet of absentees.

Four players come back in, with Amir Bourouh back from an ankle injury and King Vuniyayawa having served his HIA protocols. Adam Sidlow and youngster Nathan Connell are also named.

Leigh: Hardaker, Leutele, Charnley, Moylan, Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, O’Donnell, Hughes, Davis, Halton, Trout, Chamberlain, Holmes, McNamara, Hanley, Baxter, Dwyer, McIntosh

Salford: Brierley, Ryan, Macdonald, Lafai, Cross, Cust, Sneyd, Singleton, Bourouh, Vuniyayawa, Stone, Watkins, Partington, Atkin, Ormondroyd, Hellewell, Sidlow, Morgan, Hankinson, Connell

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