Fouth placed Wigan Warriors travelled to third placed Hull FC as they looked to close the gap to just two points as the race for the play-off places hots up.

A win for Hull would lift them six points clear of the Warriors and aid their claim to a top five finish while Wigan knew that defeat could see them end the weekend outside the play-off places.

Lee Radford juggled the side which missed out on Wembley last weekend with Masi Matongo replacing the injured Sika Manu.

Adrian Lam could call on the services of Sean O’Loughlin and Joe Burgess while Thomas Leuluai passed a late fitness test to take up his spot in the line-up.

FC won by a single point in extra time the last time that the two sides met, way back in February.

Two sides looking for some winning form met at the KCOM Stadium as roller coaster side Hull FC took on a London Broncos side who know that every point is absolutely crucial for their survival in Super League.

Hull FC are still third in the table despite two consecutive defeats, however, a loss tonight could have seen them end the weekend in fifth place.

London Broncos were bottom of the table but if they could get the victory then they would go level on points with the Rhinos and the Giants and lift themselves above Hull’s city neighbours KR into eleventh.

FC were without the injured Albert Kelly and Andre Savelio, while Danny Ward selected Sam Davis, Matty Fleming and James Cunningham for his run on side.

The sides placed third and fourth in Super League had a massive play-off four pointer in a sunny Perpignan.

A win for the Dragons would lift them above the Airlie Birds and into third spot, while a victory for the visitors would enable them to open up a four point gap over fourth and a six point margin over fifth spot, making them the clear favourites to secure a top five finish.

Steve McNamara’s side had Sam Moa and Michael McIlorum back in their side, but were without talisman Tony Gigot and the suspended Jason Baitieri.

Sika Manu and Josh Griffin returned for FC, as did Josh Bowden who was rested last time out, but Mark Minichiello was absent with a groin strain.

There was little to choose between the sides on paper, it just depended on which side would blow the hottest in the French sunshine.

Two sides, both with an excellent recent Coral Challenge Cup pedigree, were the first to clash in the quarter finals of the 2019 competition as the holders Catalans Dragons travelled to Hull to take on the Black and Whites side which lifted the trophies in the two previous years.

Hull overcame the Castleford Tigers in the last round, while the Dragons demolished lower league opposition from Doncaster.

But the sides had very different fortunes last weekend at the Magic event in Liverpool with the Dragons recording a good victory over Wakefield Trinity, while FC crashed horrendously at the hands of the Huddersfield Giants.

The two sides are currently sat third and fourth in the league table, the French side with a two point advantage.

The bookies had made the home side slight favourites, despite last weeks result, but expected that the holders wouldn’t relinquish their grip on the trophy without a fight.

For the remaining eight Super League clubs the road to Wembley starts here as the sixth round of the competition now sees the entry of the sides who finished in the top eight slots last season.

Two of those met at the KC Stadium tonight as Hull FC and the Castleford Tigers went head to head for a quarter final place.

The two sides are currently separated by two league positions and two league points but both sides were beaten last weekend and the Tigers came into the game on the back of three straight defeats and have only three wins in their last ten outings.

The home side were the favourites with the bookies, thanks to their recent form and higher league position, but this was the Cup and everything was to play for.

The opening fixture of round two saw the Castleford Tigers travel to an embattled Hull FC as they looked to follow up on last weeks opening round win over the Catalans Dragons.

FC were looking for their first win in thirteen outings, stretching back to the 29th June 2018, and coach Radford was delighted to welcome back England half-back Jake Connor after he missed the opening loss at Hull KR through suspension.

He also had Hakim Miloudi and Joe Westerman in his starting thirteen, and Micky Paea on the bench.

The Tigers had just a couple of changes with Alex Foster replacing Mike McMeeken, who was ruled out with concussion.

Two sides with very different needs met in the Thursday fixture at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield.

  The two points on offer would lift the Giants into seventh place in the Super League and push the Leeds Rhinos into a middle eights position.

Hull FC would remain in touch with the top four if they could get the win, but a loss could see them with five points to make up to get into the play off positions.

Danny Brough was back from another suspension for the Giants while Hull FC were still suffering from a massive injury and suspension list.

Although the Airlie Birds were the bookies favourites, the promise was of a close match.

It was the game of the weekend as fourth placed Castleford Tigers travelled to sixth placed Hull FC with a place in the top four up for grabs.

A Tigers win would give them a three point cushion over fifth placed Leeds Rhinos but a victory for the Airlie Birds by more than two points would lift them ahead of their opponents.

 

FC needed a lift after last weekend’s loss in the south of France and they had re-signing Joe Westerman in their seventeen, and Marc Sneyd back on duty but were without the injured Albert Kelly.

The Tigers now know that they will be without the services of Luke Gale for a number on months and also were without Jake Webster  and Adam Milner.

Paul McShane switched the scrum half with Adam Milner named at hooker as Liam Watts returned to the KCOM for the first time since switching clubs.

For the second week running the Widnes Vikings were up against a side from Hull, this time it was FC and the venue was the Select Securities Stadium.

Only two places, but four points, separated the two sides and the bookies and pundits fancied the Black and Whites to pick up the two points on the road.

Widnes came into the game having lost three consecutive games while the visitors also lost last week to the league leaders having won both of their games over Easter.

The extensive injuries which forced the Vikings to sign Rhino Jimmy Keinhorst on a months loan earlier today, also saw Dennis Betts make half a dozen changes to the side which lost to the eastern side of Hull a week ago.

Hull FC also made a number of changes with Bureta Faraimo, Jake Connor and Josh Bowden in for  Logan, Lane, and Fash.

The Challenge Cup holders took on the incumbent Super League Champions as Hull FC travelled to a new look Headingley Stadium to take on Leeds, looking for their first Super League away victory over the Rhinos in over ten years.

Neither team had a fully fit squad to choose from with the Rhinos still nursing a long injury list, but with six players returning to the side who lost in Widnes a fortnight ago.

The Airlie Birds were without Faraimo (concussion), Watts (suspended), Kelly and Houghton (both injured) while giving a Super League debut to Jordan Lane.

It was a reduced capacity crowd at a sold out Headingley, the new South Stand taking shape but only partially open, and with a temporary stand on the north side of the stadium.

With nothing to play for, and big games on the horizon, coach Powell opted to rest a number of his stars as Hull FC visited the Mend-A-Hose Jungle to take on his all-conquering table-topping side.



Hull would have been delighted at the Tigers team sheet as they knew that a draw would be enough to secure them third spot and leave Wigan needing to do the impossible on Saturday afternoon and beat Wakefield by ninety-one clear points to get themselves above Saints.



A loss for FC would give tomorrows game a totally different complexion as a win of any description for the Warriors would be enough for them to steal fourth spot after entering the Super Eights in seventh.

Is this the best value tour to Wigan v Hull FC?

We certainly think so.

The first Ladbrokes Challenge Cup semi-final saw the cup holders Hull FC up against the trophy winners in 2014 and 2015, the Leeds Rhinos.

The Airlie Birds were slight favourites with the bookies for the game, in front of a sell out Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster.



Rhinos coach Brian McDermott had rung the changes from the youthful side that lost heavily to Wigan Warriors last weekend in bringing back nine regular first teamers, but Hull were unchanged from the side that beat the Huddersfield Giants last time out.



Leeds won the meeting between the two sides at Headingley a fortnight ago by 10-7, and by 52-24 in mid-April in Hull.

But this was Cup, it was Super League's second against third, and all expectations were of a cracker.

With the start of the 2017 season looming on the horizon we got the chance to take a look at Rugby League's newest side, Toronto Wolfpack.

The side who will enter Championship One in a few weeks time were in Hull to take on the Challenge Cup holders as they continued their preparation for Superleague.



It was a chance for Paul Rowley to test his new charges against a Hull side tipped to be pushing for major honours again in 2017, with Lee Radford likely to try a few interchanges if things were going their way.

Hull FC travelled to Wakefield knowing that a loss would signal the end of their treble hopes, and be a third consecutive post-cup final defeat.

Any continuation of their shocking downturn in form could see them finish the season in fourth spot.



For Wakefield, the only prize on offer was that of denying their opponents the title as they are already confirmed as finishing eighth, thanks to an awful points difference against the only side that they could catch on league points.



It was a hot and humid night in Wakefield as the sides took to the field.

A semi-final place, joining Wakefield and Warrington in the draw, was on offer as league leaders Hull FC welcomed fourth placed Catalans Dragons.



Both sides made a number of changes, welcoming back players from injury and in the case of Ben Garcia for the Dragons, after a spell away from the club.



It looked like the tie of the round and neither side would take a backward step.

super League's third placed Hull FC travelled to the DW Stadium to take on fourth placed Wigan Warriors.

A win for either side would lift them level on points with top placed Warrington Wolves and serve as a massive boost in the fight for the top four.



All the pre-match talk was of the return of the prodigal son, Sam Tomkins, who would start the game from the bench for Shaun Wanes side.



Hull FC, the leagues form side, were out to spoil the Tomkins party,

The tie of the sixth round of the 2016 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup saw a high flying Hull FC travel to The home of the cup kings, St Helens as the BBC cameras descended on Langtree Park.



With just one defeat in the last eight Super League outings Hull have made it up to third place on the ladder, two points above fifth placed St Helens.



With Castleford, Catalans, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Warrington, Widnes and Wigan already booked safely into this evenings quarter final draw, would it be Hull or Saints would be joining them? Saints were clear favourites with the bookies, but Hull were confident of maintaining their current run of wins.

After the east side of the city went into eighth spot last night, the Black and Whites of Hull needed a win to re-establish themselves in the super eights.

But they were up against a new look Wildcats with their ranks swelled by new signings in Kevin Locke, Jordan Tansey and Michael Sio but still missing several influential players including Smith, Lauitiiti and Kirmond.



FC chose to rest several first teamers (Whiting, Pryce and Minichiello) as they played their second game of three in nine days, a calculated gamble from Lee Radford against a team looking for their first win in seventeen games, and a chance to get a winning habit before the all-important middle eights competition.

In their last two home matches the Catalans Dragons have been the undoing of both St Helens and Wigan Warriors and tonight, in the early summer sunshine, they faced the challenge of Hull FC.



It was eighth against seventh with both sides currently on sixteen SuperLeague XX points.

But with both sides having massively inferior points differences to the two sides two points above them, neither were realistically looking to finish the weekend higher than seventh.



One of these sides could, however, lift themselves three point clear of the desperately unwanted ninth spot.