Preview: Hull v Leeds (R22)

Hull FC captain Richard Swain has urged his team to beware a ?wounded? Leeds Rhinos side when the two meet at the KC Stadium on Friday evening.

The clash represents a straight shoot-out for second place in the engage Super League - with both sides tied on 32 points, six behind leaders St Helens.

Swain saw Hull?s 13-game winning streak come to an end against Harlequins last time out and has urged his team-mates to raise their game, but Leeds are also smarting from defeat.

The Rhinos have lost their last three games, including a surprise Challenge Cup semi-final reverse against Huddersfield Giants.

?Leeds are going to come and perform, that?s for sure,? said Swain. ?It is going to be very tough for us.

?They have lost their last three games - and as we all know, there?s nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal.

?I saw them against Huddersfield last weekend, and it was just one of those days when nothing went right for them.

?The game will have taken a fair bit out of them, and we?re hoping that works in our favour as we have had a couple of weeks without a game.?

Hull are hoping playmaker Paul Cooke will be fit enough to feature despite a second operation to remove kidney stones last week.

Extra spice should be added to the game with the likely Leeds debut of Jamie Thackray, who left the KC Stadium for his home-town club last month.

The 26-year-old starred in the Black and Whites? Challenge Cup success last season but did not feature in new coach Peter Sharp?s plans.

New Zealand centre Clinton Toopi is also poised to make his first Rhinos appearance, but stand-off Danny McGuire is again missing with a shin problem.

?Preparations have gone well this week, and the team have worked extremely hard in training,? said Rhinos coach Tony Smith.

?Obviously we were all disappointed with the result last week against Huddersfield, but the players have pulled together and applied themselves.

?They are determined to prove they can put things right, and we are all looking for a good performance.

?Danny is not 100 per cent fit after his recent injury. We don?t anticipate it being a lengthy injury. Once he is able to run freely again he will be back in the side - which, we hope, will be next week.?

Hull FC v Leeds Rhinos, August 4 2006

Hull FC 18-man squad: Blacklock, Briscoe, Carvell, Chester, Cooke, Domic, Dowes, G. Horne, R. Horne, King, Lee, McMenemy, Radford, Raynor, Swain, Tony, Washbrook, Whiting.

Leeds Rhinos 18-man squad: Donald, Walker, Senior, Smith, Burrow, Bailey, Diskin, Peacock, Lauitiiti, Ellis, Sinfield, Millard, Jones-Buchanan, Gibson, Scruton, Kirke, Thackray, Toopi.

Referee: P Bentham

Source: superleague.co.uk