Hull FC’s Lewis Martin didn’t even know the RFL’s player minute caps ‘were a thing’ until he saw an article on social media about them.
The minute caps would see the 20-year-old controversially stand down for five games later this year if turned live, with Martin restricted to 2,000 minutes, or 25 full games over a 12-month period. To date, he has played in all 16 of Hull’s games, including a ten-minute golden point period, taking his current total to 1,290 minutes.
Absurdly, as we enter the month of June, there is still a lack of clarity and communication surrounding the caps, with Hull Live reporting on Thursday that clubs won’t adhere to the rules given the short notice. That is a stance Martin shares.
He told Hull Live: “I didn’t even know they were a rule until I saw it on Twitter. There was a bit of panic to see the number of games I would have to miss, but it’s not my place to say that I don’t think it should be a thing, but if I’m fit to play, I’m fit to play. That’s just my opinion, but I don’t make the rules – I’ve just got to stick to them.
“However, I do think there has got to be better communication from the RFL – if they are going to put them in, they should tell us at the start of the year so we can manage our minutes. It shouldn’t come in midway through the year, and then for someone to say you’ve got to miss five games – that’s a bit ridiculous, to be honest with you, but if it does come in, we’ll just have to manage it.”
Martin’s diplomatic take is a measure of the coolness he conducts himself with. The Hull flyer has been ever present this year, notching up 16 tries alongside his 16 appearances.
Putting his focus on what he does on the field, Martin continued: “I like to think I’ve hit some good form this year. Playing every game has helped me develop massively, and I just want to keep doing that and keep kicking on. I can’t be distracted by all of that. I just want to keep playing and keep playing well.
“It’s been really good to play every minute and also get some good results and score some good tries along the way. I’m loving it. I think we’ve got a really good team with a really good bond, and I love coming to training and being on the pitch with them. It’s been really good.”
Martin burst onto the Hull FC scene with a try-scoring debut against St Helens in the final game of 2023. He followed that debut last year, only missing three games all season – a tough campaign for the Black and Whites, who won just three games – but one the winger, now in a more settled team, can look back on and evolve from.
“I’ve come on massively in a lot of areas since last year, and I think it’s showing,” Martin explained. “I’m more comfortable when I go onto the pitch, and I feel that I belong in the game.
“Don’t get me wrong; I’ve got a bit still to improve on, but for me it’s just kicking on and just trying to keep improving, but I do feel like I’ve come a long way from the start of last year.
“I’m buzzing, really. I wouldn’t have expected to get 16 tries in 16 games coming into the year, but I just need to keep doing my thing for the team, carry hard, and then the tries will come.
“The ball goes through many sets of hands before it gets to me, so pat on the back to our spine players getting us into shape to get us over the line.”
The likes of John Asiata, Aidan Sezer, and Zak Hardaker have come into the team and raised standards throughout the whole club. It’s something Martin, for one, really appreciates.
“It helps massively when you’ve got a full team that’s bought into how we want to play,” he said. “Everyone knows their roles, and everyone has bought into that. When we go on the field, we then all do it – that’s shown a lot this year, and it’s just great to be a part of.”
Fresh off the back of Saturday’s win over Catalans, Hull face Castleford next with a play-off finish in sight. There’s a long road ahead, but the side, sitting fifth in Super League, is well poised with 14 rounds to go.
“It’s every team’s goal to be playing finals at the end of the year, and I think as a group, that’s something we can aim for,” Martin added. “We’ve just got to take it week by week and game by game, which we are doing at the minute.
“We’ve set little goals for a block of two or three games, and we target them. It’s the same again now. But the main goal is to play finals and see where it goes from there.”