Simon Grix has insisted his Hull FC side will stick to their own plan and not worry about Sam Tomkins’ return this Saturday evening. The 35-year-old will come out of retirement to play for Catalans Dragons at the Stade Gilbert Brutus, with the Black and Whites focused on their own game in the South of France.
Arriving in Perpignan on Friday afternoon, Hull have sufficient time to prepare for the Saturday evening clash, with the side aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time this season – and the first since last July.
Looking to build on the back of last week’s 24-22 victory over Wigan Warriors, Hull will now come up against Steve McNamara’s side, who are looking to tie down a Super League play-off position. Tomkins, meanwhile, will return to the competition having last played in the Grand Final nine months ago, with new NRL signing Jarrod Wallace also a late call up to the Catalans squad.
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“Fair play to him,” Grix said when asked about Tomkins’ return. “I couldn’t think of anything worse. Sam is an absolute quality player, he’s a competitor, and yes, he might have been out of the game for a bit, but it’s probably given his body a bit of time to recover from a long career at the top end.
“Hopefully, he’s a bit rusty if he does make the field, but again fair play to him. I know he cares a lot about Catalans. He bowed out in a big game, the Grand Final. It wasn’t the ideal finish for them, but it wasn’t a bad way to leave the game.
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“It was a slight surprise, hearing the news, but Sam must be looking after himself, and he’s set Steve’s lightbulbs off. I wish him all the best. I hope it goes well for him, but not too well.
“Of course, we don’t want to make the game all about one bloke. I’m sure he will find it difficult in patches, but his experience will drag him through. We’re not going to make a plan for Sam. We’ve got our plan that we need to be good at.”
As for game itself, Hull will look to avoid being strangled in the corners of the field and look to play with the ball, with Grix expecting another tough physical clash.
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“We played them over there earlier this year,” Grix added. “It was a physical game and I expect much of the same this time. They’re tough and they try to suffocate you. They kick well and try make sure you’re starting your sets in tough areas.
“They’ve got threats all over. Ben Garcia is a really good player and is as tough as they come. Tariq Sims, Jermaine Bousquet, I could keep going on. They’re one of the top teams and they’ve not been finishing near the top of the table by accident.”
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Simon Grix
Fair play to him,” Grix said when asked about Tomkins’ return. “I couldn’t think of anything worse. Sam is an absolute quality player, he’s a competitor, and yes, he might have been out of the game for a bit, but it’s probably given his body a bit of time to recover from a long career at the top end.
“Hopefully, he’s a bit rusty if he does make the field, but again fair play to him. I know he cares a lot about Catalans. He bowed out in a big game, the Grand Final. It wasn’t the ideal finish for them, but it wasn’t a bad way to leave the game.
It was a slight surprise, hearing the news, but Sam must be looking after himself, and he’s set Steve’s lightbulbs off. I wish him all the best. I hope it goes well for him, but not too well.
“Of course, we don’t want to make the game all about one bloke. I’m sure he will find it difficult in patches, but his experience will drag him through. We’re not going to make a plan for Sam. We’ve got our plan that we need to be good at.”
As for game itself, Hull will look to avoid being strangled in the corners of the field and look to play with the ball, with Grix expecting another tough physical clash.
We played them over there earlier this year,” Grix added. “It was a physical game and I expect much of the same this time. They’re tough and they try to suffocate you. They kick well and try make sure you’re starting your sets in tough areas.
“They’ve got threats all over. Ben Garcia is a really good player and is as tough as they come. Tariq Sims, Jermaine Bousquet, I could keep going on. They’re one of the top teams and they’ve not been finishing near the top of the table by accident.”
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