An incredibly impressive combined 13 of Hull FC & Hull KR stars ahead of Saturday’s derby

Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s derby clash between the pair at the MKM Stadium, we pick out a combined Dream 13 made up of Hull FC and Hull KR stars.

Only players currently available for selection have been considered and chosen, meaning that the likes of FC‘s Cam Scott & KR‘s James Batchelor (both injured) were never in contention.

So, without further ado, our combined 13…

1. Niall Evalds (Hull KR)

We kick things off with one of KR’s off-season signings in the shape of Evalds, who made the move to Craven Park following a three-year spell with Castleford, winning the Lance Todd Trophy with a man of the match showing for the Tigers in their 2021 Challenge Cup final defeat to St Helens.

Evalds – who made 160 appearances for Salford Red Devils at the start of his career – began life as a Robin with two tries in KR’s opening round win across the city at FC, and since then, he has moved from the wing to full-back.

2. Joe Burgess (Hull KR)

A Super League Grand Final winner with hometown club Wigan Warriors back in 2014, Burgess is another of KR’s off-season recruits, joining from Salford in January following a fallout behind the scenes in Greater Manchester. ‘Budgie’ has gone on to score nine tries in 11 appearances so far this season, twice crossing the whitewash at Craven Park against Hull FC on Good Friday.

With three England caps on his CV, Burgess – who spent time in the NRL with both the Sydney Roosters & South Sydney Rabbitohs – surpassed 200 senior career appearances earlier this year, and is approaching the same milestone in terms of the British game alone.

3. Carlos Tuimavave (Hull FC)

FC’s first inclusion is three-time Samoa international Tuimavave, who was their captain last year, but has lost that honour to veteran hooker Danny Houghton this season.

The centre – who made nine first-grade appearances for the New Zealand Warriors at the start of his career in the NRL – has been with Hull since 2016, featuring 173 times in their colours to date having joined from Newcastle Knights. Auckland-born Tuimavave was part of the Airlie Birds’ Challenge Cup winning sides in both 2016 & 2017.

4. Peta Hiku (Hull KR)

The third KR inclusion in this combined 13 – and the third Robins off-season recruit – is Hiku, who moved to Craven Park ahead of 2024 from the North Queensland Cowboys. The Gisborne native has featured 17 times for the Kiwis on the international front and also appeared for the Māori All Stars in 2019.

Making 11 appearances for Warrington Wolves back in 2017, Hiku has over 200 NRL games on his CV having starred for Manly Sea Eagles, Penrith Panthers & the New Zealand Warriors as well as the NQ Cowboys. Excelling since moving into the centres from full-back, he’s scored 12 tries in 19 KR appearances to date, including a try on Good Friday against FC at Craven Park.

5. Ryan Hall (Hull KR)

36-year-old Hall has seen and done it all. Now Super League’s all-time top try-scorer, the six-time Grand Final winner has made 45 appearances for England as well as two for Great Britain, and when you throw in his 11 games over in the NRL for Sydney Roosters, the winger is closing in on the remarkable milestone of 500 senior games overall.

In the space of his 481 so far, the two-time Challenge Cup winner has scored 328 tries. 56 of those have come in his first 93 appearances for KR, moving to Craven Park in 2021. Hall scored home and away against FC in 2022, and grabbed a hat-trick at the MKM Stadium on Good Friday last year in a 40-0 rout.

6. Tyrone May (Hull KR)

May arrived at Craven Park having impressed in a Catalans Dragons shirt over the previous two campaigns, featuring in the Grand Final last season. The two-time Samoa international had quite the weight of expectation on his shoulders when he made the move to East Hull, but so far, he’s delivered and met those expectations.

An NRL Grand Final winner with Penrith Panthers back in 2021, May is consistently involved in a Robins attack which is unstoppable when on form. He doesn’t get over the try-line very often himself, which is something he’ll no doubt be working on behind the scenes, but he plays a huge role in getting his team-mates over it.

7. Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)

Playmaker Lewis is the first man who hails from the city of Hull in this team. He grew up as an FC fan and still has family that support the Black & Whites now! Lewis made his senior debut for the Robins back in August 2019, and hasn’t really looked back since – now having made over 100 senior appearances, including loans with Newcastle Thunder & York – at the age of 23.

Six of the England international’s 39 career tries for the Robins to date have come against FC – scoring in both meetings so far this season and being named man of the match in Round 1 at the MKM Stadium.

8. Herman Ese’ese (Hull FC)

FC’s second inclusion comes in the shape of powerhouse Auckland-born prop Ese’ese, who arrived ahead of this season and penned a three-year deal at the MKM Stadium. In what has been a difficult year for the Black & Whites, the 29-year-old has been a bit of a shining star, emerging as a real leader in their group in his 15 appearances to date.

A six-time Samoa international with a single cap for New Zealand to his name, picked up in 2018, this is Ese’ese’s first venture into Super League. Joining from the Dolphins, he’d also featured in the NRL for Canterbury Bulldogs, Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle Knights & the Gold Coast Titans, amassing over 120 first-grade appearances Down Under.

9. Jez Litten (Hull KR)

The second Hull native in this combined 13 is Litten, who is the first – and only – player included to have donned a shirt for both FC & KR. Coming through the ranks in West Hull, the hooker made 18 senior appearances in total for the Black & Whites before being sent on loan to Craven Park in August 2019.

Come the end of that season, his move across the city to KR was made permanent, and the 26-year-old has remained a Robin ever since. With 110 Rovers appearances under his belt, he now has an international appearance for England on his CV, and is just two off the milestone of 150 club career appearances when his 20 as a loanee for Doncaster between 2017 and 2019 are included.

10. Jai Whitbread (Hull KR)

Ex-Gold Coast Titans forward Whitbread, 26, linked up with KR ahead of this season following Wakefield’s relegation to the Championship having been a standout performer in a poor Trinity side last term.

The Queensland-born prop – who has been in the British game since his four-game stint at Leigh (then-Centurions) in 2021 – has steadily improved as this season has gone on in a Robins shirt, and is now one of the first names on Willie Peters’ teamsheet. He still awaits a first try since moving to Craven Park.

11. Jordan Lane (Hull FC)

Spoiler alert: This is the third and final FC inclusion, and the third and final ‘Hull lad’ in this combined 13, too. At the age of 26, versatile forward Lane is yet to permanently don any other club’s shirt than that of the Airlie Birds, with his only appearances elsewhere to date coming on loan for Doncaster between 2017 and 2019.

Named FC’s Young Player of the Year in 2019, he’d made his senior debut – and a total of 18 appearances – for the club the season prior. With 139 games for Hull on his CV to date in total, Lane featured for the England Knights in 2022, but has not made a full international debut yet.

12. Kelepi Tanginoa (Hull KR)

Tanginoa joined KR from Wakefield alongside Whitbread ahead of this season, and has six tries in 19 appearances for the Robins so far this season. Two of those tries have come in derbies, scoring home & away against FC already.

The 30-year-old featured in the NRL for Parramatta Eels, the Cowboys & Manly before making the move into the British game with Trinity – who he appeared 88 times for in total – in 2019. Having also played two games – against England – for the Combined Nations All Stars, Tanginoa is closing in on the milestone of 150 senior career appearances, just nine off that figure now.

13. Elliot Minchella (Hull KR) – Captain

We round things off with KR’s captain Minchella, who would also skipper this team. The Bradford-born ace – who made his England debut last month as he featured in the win against France in Toulouse – has 230 senior appearances at club level on his CV, including 90 for the Robins.

28-year-old Minchella – who has also played for Leeds Rhinos, London Broncos, Sheffield Eagles, Bradford Bulls & Dewsbury Rams – joined KR in 2020, and was handed the captain’s role this year following Shaun Kenny-Dowall’s retirement. He has 86 career tries, with 15 of those coming during his time at Craven Park so far.