Talanoa is happy to fight for Hull shirt

ORDINARILY he is one of the first names on Lee Radford's team-sheet but fit-again Fetuli Talanoa realises he faces a battle to regain his Hull FC wing spot.
Fetuli Talanoa.Fetuli Talanoa.
Fetuli Talanoa.

The Tongan has been restricted to just six games this season having firstly suffered a concussion and then being sidelined with a hamstring strain since the Good Friday loss to Leeds Rhinos.

He is back in the 19-man squad for tomorrow’s Magic Weekend game against St Helens and hoping to get the nod but Steve Michaels has filled in admirably during his absence, scoring a hat-trick in last Friday’s 62-0 Challenge Cup rout of Catalans.

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Fellow winger Mahe Fonua also remains one of Super League’s most potent forces although he misses Newcastle after picking up a knock against Catalans, as does Jake Connor.

However, Kiwi Carlos Tuimavave returns to Radford’s squad meaning the 29-year-old Talanoa is far from guaranteed a place for the Airlie Birds who have won all five games without him.

“It has been frustrating being injured,” said the former South Sydney Rabbitohs star, who has scored 38 tries in just 89 matches since joining at the end of 2014.

“Watching is a lot harder and the boys are going well, too, so I’ve just got to work hard on getting myself back out there.

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“I have to fight to get my spot. But it’s good to have that kind of competition as it brings the best out of you week in, week out. You have to be playing your best to keep that place and hopefully I’ll get a chance at Magic.”

Talanoa has happy memories of Magic Weekend having scored a hat-trick in the 2015 win over Hull KR in Newcastle.

“They beat us earlier at their place that year so getting a win like that was great,” he recalled.

“Scoring a try is a good feeling but to get hat-trick is something you always remember and that was my first in Super League, too.

“This event has been good to me and we’ve been successful here the last couple of years. It’s just a shame it’s not a derby on Saturday. I have missed those this time around.”

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