Hull FC v Salford: Brett Hodgson’s main focus not on returning Marc Sneyd

Scrum-half Sneyd, who played more than 150 games for the Black and Whites and won the Lance Todd Trophy in each of their Wembley wins, makes his first appearance against them since being offloaded by Hodgson last autumn.

He returned to former club Salford Red Devils to make way for England scrum-half Luke Gale and has helped his new club to a 100 per cent winning start to the season.

Sneyd, 31, has proved instrumental in victories over Castleford Tigers and Toulouse Olympique while, ironically, Hull have already seen Gale receive a five-game ban.

He starts that suspension this afternoon following his red card for leading with the studs on England colleague Johnny Lomax in last Saturday’s 38-6 defeat against St Helens, Gale receiving a combined ban after also trying to lift up the injured player from the ground.

On Salford, Hodgson admitted: “They have had a very good start.

“They are asking a lot of questions. They have a lot of trick plays that they are putting on – kicking at any stage – some very good outside backs with their speed, and also Sneyd and Brodie Croft in the halves controlling their play quite well.

“This is always going to be our reaction to last week and how we want to play.

“We’ve had some good days training and some really good conversations about what we want to do this week. I’m looking forward to a reaction.”

Inevitably, though, talk did turn to the iconic Sneyd whose unexpected departure – he was under contract for 2022 – did surprise many Hull fans at the time.

Hodgson added: “We know what he’s capable of and the important thing is we shut down his time and make sure he doesn’t have the ball in the parts of the field that he wants it.

“But he is one of a number of threats.

“The kid at full-back (Ryan Brierley) as well; he’s quite dynamic so we have to make sure we’re nullifying their threatening players.”

Hull, who won their opening match at Wakefield Trinity, need to quickly show their poor display against the champions was a minor aberration.

The return of full-back Jake Connor from a one-game ban will aid their hopes of a positive performance, and it will be interesting to see if he slots back in at 
No 1 or moves to the halves in Gale’s absence.

Hodgson, who also has centre Carlos Tuimavave fit again as another option as well as Ben McNamara, said: “It helps, no doubt.

“Everyone knows how Jake is with the ball in his hands but Jake can’t do it all alone.

“We have to make sure that as a team we are better than what we were against a very good St Helens side.”

Prop Josh Bowden is also included in Hull’s 21-man squad for the first time this season after he recovered from a quad issue.