Double over Rhinos would leave Hull in prime condition

The Yorkshire rivals face each other in consecutive games over the next week with stakes considerably high.

In-form Hull venture to Headignley Carnegie tomorrow evening looking for a victory which would greatly enhance prospects of securing a top-eight finish while, conversely, increasing faltering Leeds’s chances of actually missing the play-offs for the first time.

However, the sides – seventh-placed Hull are ahead only by points difference – meet again in a Carnegie Challenge Cup quarter-final at the KC Stadium a week on Sunday as both clubs seek to progress to within 80 minutes of Wembley.

Hull have lost their last eight games against their West Yorkshire foes including, ironically, a back-to-back fourth round cup exit followed by Super League defeat in April last year.

But former Australian international Fitzgibbon, fit again after missing the last two matches through injuries, sees no significance in that run.

“It’s a similar situation as to what happened last year but we’re hoping for a turn of results to what happened there,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“We’re a better team now than when we were then. Although Leeds are not as high in the table, they’re still full of champion players so we’re under no illusions how hard it will be but we’re confident in our ability.

“This year, I feel a couple of times we’ve felt really hard done by where the points should have been ours.

“That can appear as ‘poor man syndrome’ but we feel we’ve been very competitive in most of games whereas last year we weren’t.

“Now we’ve just got a great balance right across the squad.”

Hull are targeting a fifth win in six games and are enjoying some impressive form while their hosts are hoping to avoid a fourth straight loss which would increase pressure on Brian McDermott.

Fitzgibbon, 34, said: “It’s really exciting to be part of high-pressure matches. That’s why we do this.

“We’re both in similar league positions and it’s a vital two points for us Friday, while we all know how huge the Challenge Cup is. Everybody has the ambition of playing at Old Trafford and Wembley.

“We went close to beating Leeds in the last game of last season, but close is not good enough and we need to change that. But this is a completely separate team and totally different circumstances.”

It looks certain to be the renowned forward’s final year before returning to Sydney.

There would be no better sight than him lifting a trophy to round-off his glittering career, while Hull’s chances of advancing are further bolstered by the return of playmaker Sam Obst.

Leeds are without Samoan prop Kylie Leuluai after he injured an eye in their latest defeat at Perpignan, but Rob Burrow returns from suspension and Zak Hardaker may be fit after an ankle injury.

Castleford Tigers last night received a major boost to their chances of reaching a first Challenge Cup final since 1992 when Rangi Chase saw his suspension reduced on appeal.

The gifted New Zealand stand-off, undoubtedly a front-runner for this season’s Man of Steel, award, had received a two-game ban for punching which meant he was due to miss his side’s quarter-final with Huddersfield Giants.

However, that sanction was halved by the RFL disciplinary panel so he will now only sit out Saturday’s Super League fixture at Crusaders.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats have given rookie loose forward Chris Annakin, 20, a new two-year deal.