How Warrington Wolves could shuffle middle unit for Hull FC clash

One of them appears straightforward, but the other looks set to require a little more deliberation from Sam Burgess and his coaching team.

> Check out Warrington Wolves' 21-man squad to face Hull FC here

With teenager Arron Lindop dropping out of the squad following his try-scoring senior debut against Catalans Dragons in Round One, his spot on the right wing is set to be taken by Josh Thewlis.

The reigning Super League Young Player of the Year missed the trip to France to attend the birth of his first child but should slot straight back into the side in Lindop’s place.

However, the waters are slightly muddier in terms of how Wire deploy their middle unit in the absence of Jordy Crowther, who misses the game having been handed a one-match ban for his yellow card in Perpignan.

Wire will be without the suspended Jordy Crowther for Friday's clash with Hull FC (Image: Joe Richardson)

Joe Bullock has been named in the 21-man squad, but Burgess suggested in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday that he was not yet ready to feature following his return from a knee injury.

As such, we assess Burgess’ options for how he could use his big men in Round Two…

A debut for Max Wood?

The “straight swap” option would be to draft teenage forward Max Wood into the 17 for what would be his Super League debut.

The 19-year-old has certainly made quite the impression at the club since being invited to spend pre-season with them upon his release from Wigan Warriors, so much so that he was offered a one-year deal to join the squad full-time.

His direct and aggressive displays in both pre-season friendlies caught the eye and his showing on dual-registration for Widnes Vikings this weekend was good enough to convince Vikings fans to vote him as their man of the match in the 1895 Cup win over North Wales Crusaders.

Of course, replicating that kind of form in the thick of a Super League battle will be a different kettle of fish altogether but having given Lindop his debut in the Perpignan cauldron last week, Burgess has already proved he is willing to give young players he believes in a chance.

Paul Vaughan will surely return to the starting line-up having featured off the bench in Round One, so Burgess could choose to start with him and Zane Musgrove up front with James Harrison at 13 and front-load his biggest middle-unit weapons.

Or, could he even draft Wood straight in from the start to retain size on the bench in the shape of either Vaughan, Harrison or Musgrove alongside Joe Philbin and Gil Dudson, who will both likely keep their spots.

Max Wood scored twice in the recent pre-season friendly against Widnes, for whom he shone on dual-registration against North Wales at the weekend (Image: Mike Boden)

Powell to play loose forward?

It is not beyond the realms of possibility for Burgess to ask Sam Powell to step into the number 13 role, either from the start or in-game.

He has done so in spells of both of his Wire appearances thus far as well as during his later days at Wigan Warriors, so it is a position that is far from alien to him.

Should be he chosen to start, it opens up a spot on the bench for either Wood or Adam Holroyd as forward options or even club captain Stefan Ratchford as a utility option.

He has played a bit of loose forward and hooker in his time, while scrum-half Leon Hayes could also be elevated to the bench and jump in at dummy-half for a spell if he is not picked in the halves.

Sam Powell could be asked to play at loose forward against Hull FC (Image: Joe Richardson)