Hull FC's Brett Hodgson happy to see Jamie Shaul get chance after Jake Connor injury

England international Connor - shortlisted for the Steve Prescott Man of Steel last term - injured his hand in Sunday’s friendly at Leeds Rhinos.

It has since been confirmed it is broken and he is expected to miss Hull’s opening games at Wakefield Trinity on Sunday week and the Channel 4 televised visit of champions St Helens on Saturday February 19.

Hodgson said: “He has got a fracture in his hand. It’s not the worst case scenario for us.

“It’s going to be a pain threshold and see how it heals over the next couple of weeks.

“But he’ll more than likely miss the first couple of rounds.”

Connor usurped double-Challenge Cup final winner Shaul from the No1 role last season and Hodgson has been looking at his link with England scrum-half Luke Gale - their autumn signing from Leeds - as an integral part of their attacking dynamic in 2022.

But the coach still has every confidence in the 29-year-old Shaul who had been contemplating fighting for a place on the bench this term.

“Jamie has played in a lot of big games,” he said, about someone who had been Hull’s main full-back since 2013 but is also coming back from an ankle injury.

“He’s a very competent full-back in his own right. He’s a different type of player obviously but we have a lot of confidence in Jamie being right for round one.”

Shaul, who earned his solitary England cap against France in 2018, will look to make the most of his chance.

Hodgson added: “We’ve spoken constantly about it; it’s going to be a squad this year that will need to fill in for positions and Jamie is an exceptional player.

“He has played full-back at the highest level for many years, played Challenge Cup finals, knows what to expect and knows his strengths.

“We’ll obviously have to adapt a little bit in terms of how we play but we’ve absolute quality in Jamie coming back in the team.”

Hull, though, are already missing forwards Scott Taylor, Manu Ma’u, Kane Evans and Joe Cator with Hodgson hoping to make a late signing to assuage their problems.