McDonnell facing tough battle to make it back for final

INJURED full-back Shannon McDonnell has re-lived his “bittersweet” moment of reaching the Tetley’s Challenge Cup final with Hull FC.

The Australian, who made a controversial cross-city move from Hull KR last winter, is in danger of missing out on their Wembley date with Wigan Warriors.

He pulled a hamstring just six minutes into Sunday’s epic 16-12 semi-final win over Warrington Wolves when trying in vain to stop Joel Monaghan scoring.

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McDonnell knows he faces a real battle to be fit for the showpiece occasion on August 24.

“I over-strode and it just clicked,” he said.

“I’ll do everything humanly possible to make myself in contention in four weeks. It depends on what grade it is – it could be a long one.

“We’ll check it out and go from there. I’m desperate to play. It’s bitter-sweet at the moment. To not play would be shattering, but it’s fingers crossed.”

He was having the injury assessed yesterday knowing he has already suffered this term with a similar problem, missing three games in March.

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McDonnell scored twice in Hull’s quarter-final win at Perpignan and his attacking quality would certainly be well-suited to the open spaces of Wembley.

Richard Whiting, ordinarily used as a back-row this term but a centre in Hull’s 2005 Challenge Cup final win over Leeds Rhinos, came in off the bench at the weekend to play full-back and had some telling moments.

McDonnell, 25, admitted: “He’s just one of those players who can slot into anywhere and do a job.

“It’s full credit to Rich; he was outstanding and really did the job well from the back.”

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If the worst does occur and the ex-Newcastle Knights player is not fit in time, it could solve one potential selection dilemma for coach Peter Gentle.

Scrum-half Richard Horne could be back from his own injury problems for Friday’s home game with Widnes Vikings but Jacob Miller – the 20-year-old Australian signed from Wests Tigers during his lay-off – is starting to impress.

Horne, 30, had been in vintage form himself before being sidelined by a foot injury in May but he is equally adept at full-back so could offer Gentle a solution to any possible conundrum.

Hull will now try and arrest their five-match losing league slump with McDonnell insisting: “We’ve got the team and the game to win every game that we’re in, it’s just putting it together on the day.

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“We’ve shown that we can perform against any team and it’s just consistency which is missing.”

Hull are expecting a major uptake of tickets when they go on sale at the ground tomorrow with the club fully expecting to sell its 15,000 allocation as they bid to finally end their Wembley drought.

Though the East Yorkshire club have won the Challenge Cup three times, none occurred at the famous venue. Their first success in 1914 was staged at Halifax’s Thrum Hall while in 1982 victory came in a replay at Leeds United’s Elland Road and their last triumph was at Cardiff in 2005.

They have totalled six final losses at Wembley dating back to 1959 – another five before that at various grounds – with the last being against St Helens five years ago.

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Gentle, however, insists they will use all of that history as an encouragement.

“I suppose we can but it’s not a stigma or hurdle for us,” he said.

“It’ll be a goal to be the first Hull side to win at Wembley.”