Hull FC could hand a first run out to new signing Hugo Salabio at Doncaster next Sunday afternoon. The Black and Whites head to South Yorkshire on January 12 for their first fixture of pre-season, and while the clash has been branded as a reserves outing, it is expected to see some first-team representation.

That could see Hull’s newest recruit get some minutes as he looks to make his mark at his new club. Signed from Huddersfield Giants last month, the prop has arrived on a two-year deal, with John Cartwright set to finalise the squad alongside Francis Cummins, the club’s academy and reserve coach, this Monday.

The game will present an opportunity for all of Hull's Elite Talent Group to feature, with the likes of Will Kirby, Cobie Wainhouse, and Lloyd Kemp looking to impress. They will be joined by Ryan Westerman and the like, with a predominately youthful side expected to be named.

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Asked about team selection, in particular Salabio’s inclusion, Cartwright told Hull Live: "He could play. We'll name the side on Monday. We got them in today (Friday), and we're just getting everything ready for Monday, which will give us the opportunity to have a full week of training. There's been some housekeeping stuff that we've done, so come Monday, we're fully ready to go.

"It will be mostly youth. All the young boys who have been given an opportunity to train through the pre-season will play. We've got to check on the availability of some of the boys on the injured list, but as many of those young lads we can play, we will."

And as for Salabio, Cartwright has been impressed by what he’s seen so far. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing over 100 kg, the head coach believes the club’s new recruit is 'awkward' to tackle, with some explanation behind the signing shared.

"He's a big, tall, rangy middle forward," Cartwright continued. "He's very awkward, and he's very hard to tackle. He's made his debut for the French team too.

"We were very short in middle forwards. It's an area where, with head knocks and suspensions, you've got to be really stocked up in, and it's probably an area where we still could be a little bit light when you take into consideration the injuries you get day to day, plus HIAs.

"He became available, and we did our homework on him. He's ticked all the boxes for us. He's come to us; he's only trained two sessions with us so far, but he looks very fit, and he's settled in very well so far."

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