Simon Grix has provided a full injury update.
Hull FC center Carlos Tuimavave is in contention to make his long-awaited comeback against Leeds Rhinos this Saturday afternoon. The 31-year-old has been sidelined for three months with a severe hamstring injury but has returned to full training over the past couple of weeks after completing his rehab process.
Interim coach Simon Grix will decide later this week whether Tuimavave, who is out of contract at the end of the season, will feature in the match against the Rhinos.
Tuimavave tore his hamstring against Leigh Leopards in March. Although his official recovery period was never confirmed, it was understood to be around 8–10 weeks, and he is now nearing his return.
“Carlos is back in full training and joining in with everything, which is great news for us,” Grix said in his pre-match press conference. “He’s in contention to play this week. He’s trained; it’s just a matter of considering how much rugby he needs before jumping back into Super League.
“But in Carlos’ position, we don’t have a great deal of depth, so we’re assessing how he looks this week. We’ve got another session to finalize our plans, but he’s definitely in with a shout of playing.”
Elsewhere, both Danny Houghton and Liam Sutcliffe are fit to play after sustaining knocks in the defeat against Huddersfield Giants two weeks ago. Houghton has been dealing with an ongoing rib issue, while Sutcliffe sat out the second half due to a tight hamstring.
“Danny will be okay,” Grix continued. “He was doubled over against Huddersfield. He did a really tough job after half-time; if you saw him then, you wouldn’t think he was going back out there, but the rest has done him a world of good.
“It’s the same for Sutty. I was half joking, but the length of the field intercept against Castleford is what triggered it, and it’s been tight ever since. He’s had a bit of downtime; we trained last week, but we were smart about what Sutty got involved with. He’s now in good shape to play.”
Grix also revealed a knee injury to Franklin Pele, sustained while playing on loan at York Knights. Additionally, there were updates on long-term absentees Miteli Vulikijapani and Cobie Wainhouse, who are both recovering from ACL injuries.
Grix also commented on Joe Cator, who has seen a specialist after injuring his back at London Broncos last month, while young duo Charlie Severs and Sully Medforth have picked up knocks.
“Frank hurt his knee playing for York,” Grix added. “He’s in the rehab room for a few weeks. We’ll take a look at how it looks after that.
“Mitch is still pushing in the background to try and get his knee to the standard it needs to be at to join in training. Cobie is doing well. He’s almost in training now. It’s been a long layoff for him.
“Joe has seen a specialist. We’re not 100% sure what the outcome is yet, but we’re closer to a decision on what comes next.
“Charlie has hurt his shoulder again playing for York. He’s got history there, so we’re a bit nervous. He’s got a scan to check the outcome and see how it is. We’re getting around him at the moment.
“Sully has broken his collarbone. It’s an awkward break; it doesn’t require surgery, but he will need some time off. It’s a shame for Sully, as I thought he was getting into a bit of rhythm in the reserves, but that’s the nature of the beast. He needs to make sure he rests up now.”
Harvey Barron is also absent due to the sport’s concussion protocols. He is out for 21 days from the Huddersfield game, with Lewis Martin likely to get the nod on the left wing.