Hull FC v Catalans Dragons: Green out to cement Wembley final spot with Hull

Leading into tonight’s Super 8s fixture with visiting Catalans Dragons, head coach Lee Radford has said, in his mind, 16 places are confirmed but three players are fighting for one remaining bench spot when it comes to the showpiece against Warrington Wolves in London on Saturday week.

This evening’s game, where leaders Hull will secure a Super League semi-final spot with victory, is a last chance to impress for some with forwards Josh Bowden, Jordan Thompson and Dean Hadley believed to be the ones vying it out.

However, prop Green, whose 20 appearances this term have all bar one come from the bench, will not rest on his laurels with competition so stiff.

“Since the semi-final win over Wigan obviously everyone’s been looking ahead to the final,” he said, the 26-year-old having played his part in that epic and also Hull’s impressive rise to the top of Super League.

“But it’s about bringing form and playing as well I can in these three games before Wembley to try and cement my spot.

“I’ve played against Cas and the win at Widnes last week. Now I’m just concentrating on playing well versus Catalans and hopefully I’ll be picked.

“I was 18th man at Wembley the last time we got there in 2013.

“That was only my second season in the first-team but I got a small taste of it then and ever since I’ve been wanting to play in big games like any player.”

Green has undoubtedly progressed markedly since then when, as a rookie front-row, he was denied a place in the 16-0 loss against Wigan by the likes of former Australian international Mark O’Meley, current team-mate Liam Watts, ex-Bradford Bulls star Andy Lynch and Jay Pitts.

“I had lots of role models around me at that time,” he recalled. “Mark O’Meley was a big influence on me. It was really good for me.

“He sort of took me under his wing a bit. I’d like to think I’m a better player because of that now.

“But not just him, though, there was Gareth Ellis, Andy Lynch... some really good, big names here and I’ve learned a lot from them over the years.”

Whoever Radford does leave out, he will know how they feel as he was twice 18th man himself for Bradford Bulls in the 2000 Murrayfield win over Leeds Rhinos and, again, 12 months later when they lost to St Helens at Twickenham.

He will, then, be mindful of how he breaks the news – on one of those two occasions he inadvertently discovered his fate from an assistant coach who thought Radford had already been told.

Asked if he had gleaned anything from his own experiences, the coach said: “Probably be as straight as you can with them – whether they with agree with that or not. Hopefully they’ll respect it. I have been on the other side of the table and it’s a tough one. I’m not looking forward to it but it’s what the job is unfortunately.

“It’s going to be difficult because there’s a lot of players that have performed really well for us this season that are not going to feature and I’m going to have to tell them the terrible news that they won’t be walking out at Wembley.

“There is still one spot up for grabs and and all three will get an opportunity (versus Catalans) but I even know the pecking order of that one, two, three and it’s going to take something special from one of the boys to change that.”

Radford said both Marc Sneyd, who missed the 38-0 win at Widnes Vikings last Thursday with a minor ankle knock, will return as will Danny Washbrook, the experienced utility man who was rested for that victory.