Hull FC vs Hull KR Predictions: Hiku to star in Robins road win

Betfred Super League rugby finally returns on Thursday with the blockbuster to end all blockbusters kicking off the 2024 season when Hull FC face Hull Kingston Rovers at the MKM Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

The 244th edition of the big city derby sees the rarity of Rovers coming into the fixture as big favourites on enemy soil following an excellent 2023 campaign which saw them reach the Betfred Challenge Cup final and the end-of-season play-offs.

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Hull FC coach Tony Smith is in the difficult position of having to deal with a mini injury crisis before the competitive season has even begun. Liam Tindall broke his thumb during pre-season training so is missing from the 21-man squad, while Jake Trueman and Mitieli Vulikijapani are both long-term absentees with ACL and ankle trouble respectively.

Former skipper Carlos Tuimavave, whose 2023 season was ended in July by an achilles tendon rupture, is another to miss out on the derby as he looks to ease his way back into first-team action.

The visitors have a clean bill of health in comparison, with Peta Hiku, Niall Evalds, Oliver Gildart, Jai Whitbread, Kelepi Tanginoa, Tyrone May and Joe Burgess all in line to make their club debuts.

Hull KR by 1-12 points @ 19/10 

This fixture ended with a 40-0 drubbing for the home side last season, and looking at the comparative squads for the 2024 opener it is fair to say Rovers again appear the far stronger proposition. But another full pre-season under the guidance of Tony Smith should give Hull FC a harder edge.

The last three Hull derbies have been won by the away team, so the lack of home advantage shouldn’t be an issue for Willie Peters’ side here, and looking at the game dispassionately this ought to be a red-and-white win.

The home side might benefit from the fact it’s likely to be a damp and dreary East Yorkshire in the hours before the match, potentially making this a tighter affair than were it on a dry track. That should help to restrain Hull KR’s more vibrant threequarter line just enough to make the match competitive.

Rovers should still have enough, but it is unlikely to be the runaway of last Easter.

Peta Hiku anytime tryscorer @ 9/4

Hull KR have been at their best in recent years when they have had a thriving fullback knitting the latter part of their sets together. Whenever Adam Quinlan was fit, he looked a danger, while two of their last three derby wins included starring performances from Lachlan Coote.

New Zealand international Peta Hiku is the latest big-name addition in the number-one jersey, and with a newly-bolstered back line to work with he might well be able to hit the ground running on Thursday.

A scorer of 60 tries in 201 NRL appearances, he crossed 10 times in 11 matches for Warrington Wolves in his only previous stint on UK soil. He could be every bit as prolific for Rovers this season.