The problem for Hull is there are a number of players who are coming back from injury and until they start playing we will have no idea if there are are any permanent or long term effects that are going to hamper their performance: Kelly, Sneyd, Bowden, Mini, Manu, Green, Talanoa, Carlos and Griffin either haven't come back yet or were not up to speed when they did. If most of them are OK then the team should be competitive. The other big if is how well Matongo, Bienik, Litten and Lane in particular progress. I'm not bursting with confidence but I'm hopeful.
Meanwhile we have the comedy from the unwelcome dobbins intruders (where have they been the last 2 years?) somehow thinking that a side that avoided the MPG on points difference thanks to a Widnes side that was trying to lose is now top 4 material. Fat Mose is going to be a real force with interchanges down to 8 and Fanny McGuire and Lunt booking 2 of them for their early injury exits.