Warrington Wolves v Hull FC: Tony Smith pins hopes on exuberance of youth in Sam Burgess' first home game

Tony Smith's list of absentees runs into double figures with as many as 14 players unavailable for tonight's trip to Warrington Wolves.

Franklin Pele, Herman Ese'ese, Ligi Sao, Danny Houghton, Cam Scott and Joe Cator all drop out of the team well beaten by Hull KR in round one, joining the likes of Brad Fash, Carlos Tuimavave and Jake Trueman on the sidelines.

Harvey Barron, Denive Balmforth, Charlie Severs, Matty Laidlaw, Mackenzie Harman, Jeylan Hodgson and Lennon Bursell have been drafted into a young squad that features just five of Hull's top 13.

A date with a star-studded Warrington in Sam Burgess' first home game in charge could be viewed as a daunting challenge but Smith is hoping the exuberance of youth prevails.

"Every game that coaches and players go into is an opportunity for two points," said the Hull boss.

"It purely comes down to how you perform. That's the beauty of our game – it's not very often that the hardest-working team doesn't win.

"In some other sports you can get a lucky goal or things go against play. In our sport you're never off target and win. You've got to be on target.

"These young guys have got nothing to hold back from. They've been waiting for some of this – and it's an exciting opportunity for us as well to kickstart our season. We certainly didn't do that last week."

On the morning of Hull's 22-0 derby defeat in the Super League opener, Smith's second string claimed a resounding win over their KR counterparts.

After losing six players in round one, Smith is grateful for the timely friendly fixture.

"The good thing for us last week was that our reserve grade had a training game against KR and some of them performed really well," he added.

"They didn't know it at the time but that hit-out has helped them get ready for being called upon this week.

"They're trying to prise their way into the first team and have got their opportunity this week.

"Hopefully they'll bring that enthusiasm to match Warrington's experience. Sometimes you can have young guys out there that make up for their lack of experience with the enthusiasm and desire they bring to the team. That's what we're hoping for this week."

The Black and Whites finished last season with six straight defeats and it has been an inauspicious start to this year, following up their 40-0 friendly hammering by Wigan Warriors with another nilling at the hands of fiercest rivals KR.

Hull have to go back a month to the trial game at Doncaster for the last time they troubled the scorers but Smith is not reading too much into their early outings against Super League opposition.

"The first week was against Wigan and they were pretty good," he said.

"There were a few opportunities last week but we just relieved the pressure way too many times. Every time we had the chance to put them under pressure we came up with a second-tackle error or a pressure releaser.

"I don't think we should be judged too much on the 12-man or 11-man team we had out there.

"We came out second best and will hopefully get firing this week."

Smith's former club Warrington are fresh from a 16-10 loss to a depleted Catalans Dragons in Perpignan.

The hosts played the entire second half with 12 men after Michael McIlorum was sent off for a shoulder charge on Joe Philbin but Burgess' side could not take advantage.

Smith is planning for the best of the Wolves on a big night for the club as they usher in a new era at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

"They're a class outfit with a new coach who they're trying to impress and play to the way he's instilling in them," said Smith.

"I know Sam will be riding them hard this week. They weren't far off it in Catalans. It's hard to go down to Catalans and perform well. There wasn't much in that game.

"They're going to be tough and will be hurting from last week. We're hurting from last week ourselves.

"We've got to worry about ourselves this week and produce an enthusiastic performance."

For his part, Burgess is paying little attention to Hull's early-season selection crisis.

“We’re really focused on ourselves at the moment so it’s about fine-tuning what we can control,” said the former England captain, who was handed his international debut by Smith.

“It’s been an internal week again. There hasn’t been too much looking at things external but their players and ours will find motivation however they choose.

“We’re trying to create something that we all value and this weekend is another chance to grow that.”

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