Salford v Hull predicted teams: Debuts galore as major FC call made
How will Paul Rowley and John Cartwright line their teams up on Sunday?
Salford Red Devils take on Hull FC on Sunday afternoon in the final game of Round 15 in the 2025 Super League season.
Both teams head into the game off the back of disappointing defeats, with Salford heavily beaten by St Helens and Hull slumping to a surprise home defeat to Castleford Tigers.
But the nature of changes both teams will make for the contest will be very different.
Salford, for example, will likely give out as many as four debuts as they go in pursuit for their second victory of the season. Some of them are fairly easy to predict – well, all of them are, in fact. It’s just how it impacts the 17 that played last week.
Kobe Rugless will likely come in and start at hooker, with Cain Robb taking up the place on the interchange bench. They could switch, of course.
Expect Dan Russell to come straight into Salford’s 13 and start in place of Shane Wright, who has dropped out of the squad to face Hull. The other back row spot will be given to Matty Foster, like last week.
That means Tom Whitehead, the fourth debutant, will come off the bench. Kai Morgan was at hooker at last week but he could go back into the halves and allow either Ryan Brierley to go to fullback, or Esan Marsters to go into the three-quarter line. We’re predicting the latter.
But who drops out? Toby Warren and Sam Hill are the contenders – it’s a toss of a coin. With Marsters likely to play centre, we’re going with Hill getting the nod.
Salford 17: Connell; Vaughan, Hankinson, Marsters, Hill; Brierley, Morgan; Hill, Rugless, Ormondroyd, Foster, Russell, Shorrocks. Bench: Robb, Whitehead, Sangare, Bullock.
What about Hull? Well, there is not likely to be much in the way of changes. John Cartwright could bring Logan Moy in but he has been named in Doncaster’s 21 on dual-registration, perhaps hinting that he will instead play in the Championship.
There may also be a temptation to give Jack Charles an outing given how Hull are facing Super League’s bottom side. If that happened, Cade Cust could either drop out altogether or even go to 13: but we’re predicting Cartwright will give the side who played last week a chance to put things right.
Hull 17: Rapana; Barron, Briscoe, Litten, Martin; Cust, Sezer; Ese’se, Bourouh, Knight, Chamberlain, Hardaker, Aydin. Bench: Ashworth, Balmforth, Eseh, Laidlaw.
