No Mikey Lewis and 11 Hull FC stars in all-star Super League derby 13
Hull KR and Hull FC renew acquaintances for the 50th time in Super League on Sunday afternoon with a mouthwatering clash between the sides that could have huge ramifications for the seasons of both.
After Wigan Warriors’ win over St Helens on Friday evening, the Robins can’t quite clinch the League Leader’s Shield on Sunday, but another win would take them to the brink of securing top spot.
For Hull, the stakes are arguably even higher as victory will move them back into the top six after Wakefield’s shock defeat to Castleford on Friday.
That means there is the chance for some players to write their names into derby folklore. And ahead of the 50th Super League Hull derby, here’s our all-star 13 of players who have excelled in the game..
1. Shaun Briscoe (Hull FC/KR)
We start with one of several men in this team who have played in a derby for both teams: fullback Shaun Briscoe. He has a very impressive record in the fixture too; winning nine of his 13 Super League games while representing either the Black and Whites or the Robins. A fine player, who is well respected on both sides of the city.
2. Tom Briscoe (Hull FC)
Only one man, and he comes up next, has more tries in the Hull derby in the Super League era than the nine Tom Briscoe has scored. An unbelievable servant for the Black and Whites across two separate spells, Briscoe is undoubtedly one of the finest wingers of the modern era.
3. Kirk Yeaman (Hull FC)
Only one man has played in more Hull derbies in the Super League era than centre Kirk Yeaman – and we’ll get to that individual later.
Yeaman played in a whopping 26 derbies in the league and scored some sensational and memorable tries. It’s a bit of a no-brainer that he makes the cut.
4. Mahe Fonua (Hull FC)
He may have only played in five Super League derbies – but Mahe Fonua definitely loved them. He scored three tries in those five derby games but crucially, he was on the winning side every single time.
No wonder he remains such a popular player at the Black and Whites even to this day.
5. Craig Hall (Hull FC/Hull KR)
We were SO close to including David Hodgson, the man who scored perhaps the most iconic try in a Hull derby in Super League. But we’ve gone with a man who made 20 appearances across both clubs in the derby: and a mighty fine one at that.
We could have put Hall in a plethora of positions given how he had immense utility value as a player for both FC and the Robins – but he’s in on the wing here!
6. Michael Dobson (Hull KR)
There were a whole host of options we could have gone for at half-back – including current Rovers star Mikey Lewis. In the years to come, he’ll definitely make a team like this but right now we’re opting for another Rovers icon in the shape of Michael Dobson.
He played in some memorable derbies during Rovers’ early years in Super League, including a masterclass display at the MKM Stadium in the Robins’ win there in 2010.
7. Marc Sneyd (Hull FC)
13 derbies for the Black and Whites in Super League, ten victories. And Sneyd was instrumental in practically all of them during his time as a Hull FC player.
8. Scott Taylor (Hull KR/FC)
It could have been Scott Taylor or Liam Watts
9. Danny Houghton (Hull FC)
No explanation needed here, surely. No man has played in more Super League derbies than Houghton: in fact, nobody is really even close to the 40 he has racked up. A Hull legend without question.
10. Sauaso Sue (Hull KR)
There are only two men who have a perfect record in Hull derbies in Super League having played in at least five. We’ve already included one in the shape of Fonua – so we couldn’t omit the other.
Incredibly, like Fonua, Rovers prop Sue has not yet lost a Hull derby..
11. Lee Radford (Hull FC)
There are a whole host of back-rowers we could have gone for here who’ve made an impact in Hull derbies – but we’ve gone for someone who starred for FC as both a player and coach. Radford has a fine record in both regards.
12. Gareth Ellis (Hull FC)
Arguably Hull’s most talismanic leader of the past decade, we’ve given Ellis the nod here ahead of the likes of Mark Minichiello and Ben Galea.
13. Paul Cooke (Hull FC/Hull KR)
The last pick is a controversial one – but we’re sure Cooke wouldn’t want it any other way! The man who almost single-handedly defined the rivalry and took it up several notches during the mid-2000s, Cooke starred on both sides of the divide throughout that era, and his transfer between the clubs was one of the most controversial stories of the era.
No Hull derby of this time period is complete without him!
