Hull’s Yeaman determined to be in chair for play-offs

In all fairness, Hull FC’s Kirk Yeaman is more likely to produce the brawn when it comes to matters on the field, his powerful surges at centre underpinning a lot of their good work this season.

However, he has found himself at the centre of much amusement given his exploits at a club event earlier this week.

Emerging top from a group of 10 players, including Ewan Dowes, Sam Moa, Danny Tickle and Richard Whiting, it appears Yeaman, not known for being particularly erudite, is the pick of his peers - on the subject of ‘Only Fools And Horses’, at least.

Yeaman told the Yorkshire Post: “It was at Hull Truck Theatre and there was about 450 people watching on Tuesday night.

“Don’t ask me how – I still don’t know – but I managed to win and take home the trophy (an engraved ornamental pigeon).

“It was all good fun and for a good cause in the Yorkshire Scan Appeal and the Hull FC Foundation. The crowd got stuck in and I’ve had a bit of stick since. Now I just want to get playing at the weekend.”

Yes, for the real business. The play-offs may not start for another fortnight but for some, Hull included, the tension starts tomorrow evening.

If they can overcome Castleford Tigers at the Probiz Coliseum, the Airlie Birds will ease that pressure and confirm their top-eight berth with a game to spare.

If they fail to do so, their opponents will hold onto seventh and the Black and Whites will face a daunting home game with title-chasing Warrington a week from now to complete the job.

All the time, their biggest rivals, Hull KR, are waiting to eclipse them, being just a point behind in ninth. “It’s a must-win game for both teams really,” conceded Yeaman.

“Whoever wins is guaranteed a spot in the play-offs. That’s how important it is. But we’re going in on the back of two really good results and a week off so we’re feeling really refreshed.”

Indeed, Hull are one of Super League’s form teams given a 58-18 destruction of Crusaders, preceded by a mightily impressive 40-8 victory over high-flying Catalan Dragons.

Yeaman, who returns from a one-match ban for fighting against the French club, said: “I was disappointed to miss that Crusaders game; I’ve only missed two all seasons and they’ve both been due to bans. But I’ve had chance to get over some bumps and bruises and I’m raring to get stuck into Cas.”

Yeaman, the club’s leading try-scorer with 20, is wary of the threat posed by the Challenge Cup semi-finalists who are bidding to send departing coach Terry Matterson off on a high in his final home game in charge.

“On their day, Cas are as dangerous as anybody,” he said, the Tigers having won 20-18 at the KC Stadium earlier this season before their league form dipped.

“Obviously, people feel the main focus is all on Rangi Chase but they have players all over the park who can strike. You can’t just focus on him.”

Castleford will look to negate the impact of former player Joe Westerman, who made the £100,000 switch to Hull last winter.

The gifted back-row has switched to stand-off recently, co-inciding with their upturn in form, and so will be in direct opposition to his big friend Chase.

Yeaman said: “Joe’s going to be nervous, this being his first competitive game back at his old club.

“I’m sure he’ll have a lot of family down there as they’re all big Cas fans and he’ll have a few butterflies but he has really been shining at six for us.

“Joe’s been our stand-out player recently and we’re hoping he can continue that form.

“He has been outstanding and has got that potential – if he can maintain it and push a little bit more – to definitely get in the England reckoning.”

That is a similar target for Yeaman, whose stellar form has seen him called into Steve McNamara’s England Elite Squad.

Reaching the play-offs will be crucial to stay in the England coach’s thoughts but the 27 year-old said: “It’s not just that – you want to be in these play-offs and winning.

“I missed them last year after picking up an injury in the last game and haven’t played in one since 2007.

“We know if we can get in there we’ll be dangerous. It’s a cliche but true that it’s not how you start the season, it’s how you finish.

“We didn’t start too good by our own standards. We know that. But the last 10 weeks or so our form has been really good, especially in the last two performances.”

Yeaman has fully recovered from the unexpected epileptic fit he suffered while playing at Wakefield in June.

“I could feel it coming on but then the next thing I just woke up in the dressing room at half-time and wasn’t sure what had happened,” he said.

“I had to ask if I’d had a fit and unfortunately I had but I felt all right soon after.

“Everything’s fine now. It was disappointing as I’d not had one for 10 years but it’s been two months, I’ve had nothing since and my medication’s back to where it should be.

“The only bad thing about it all is I can’t drive for a year.

“I’m relying on Richard Horne Danny Houghton and Danny Washbrook to ferry me around – they all live close by – and obviously the wife drives but when she’s at work and I’m stuck in with the kids there’s no escape.”