Radford refuses to rest Hull stars at Sheffield

Hull FC coach Lee Radford does not have enough fit bodies in his squad to be able to rest players for this weekend’s Challenge Cup tie with Sheffield Eagles at Bramall Lane.

The Airlie Birds have a number of high-profile players on the sidelines at the moment, with Gareth Ellis, Marc Sneyd and Kirk Yeaman among those recovering from injury.

Radford has confirmed that Ellis will not be risked at Sheffield, as the coach tries to keep one eye on FC’s next Super League game against Huddersfield Giants.

But no fit players can expect a rest, despite the Cup tie being against a Championship side.

“We are still down to the bare bones at the moment and what we are putting out on the field is pretty much all we have to select from at the minute, but we hope by the Huddersfield game we will have some bodies back,” Radford told the Hull Daily Mail.

“Sheffield is a game I’d have loved to have rested a few for, but I don’t think we’ll have that luxury. We know this is their biggest game of the season too, and they’ll be targeting us.

“Sheffield is a real banana skin for us, as they have been doing really well.

“So we’ll not be putting a team of young players out as we have to give them respect.”