The young Hull FC centre on competition, standards, his fitness, and the club’s recent pre-season camp.
Hull FC centre Davy Litten. (Image: Hull FC)
If you think Davy Litten is set to rest on his laurels after achieving another Hull FC childhood dream, then think again. If anything, it’s lit the fuel for the centre, ever present in the team since returning from injury last March, to go round once more, bigger, stronger and better.
Gearing up for the 2026 season, that’s exactly what the 22-year-old intends to do, and he’s putting it all in this pre-season to make it a reality. Handed the number three shirt, Litten, who has featured 50 times for Hull FC, is raring to go, having ticked another item off his checklist for his boyhood club. And while it may only be a number, for the player, it means a great deal.
Aware of the competition in the Hull squad, Litten is now ready to prove his worth to John Cartwright and co, knuckling down for what is hoped to be another upward curve in the Black and Whites’ ongoing trajectory.
“It was a really proud moment for me and my family,” Litten, speaking to Hull Live, said on receiving the number three shirt. “It’s something you work towards, and you never think it’s going to happen, and then it does.
“To be honest, it doesn’t mean much outside, it means everything to me, but it means nothing when picking the team. If anything, it’s made me rise to the challenge a bit more.
“I train hard anyway but I’m trying to train harder, get better, faster, stronger, and be a bit more of an experienced player for the younger boys to come to, but just that number, it means the world, and I can’t imagine going out at home with that on the back of my shirt, I’ll probably be a bit emotional, but I’ll leave it all out there for the boys and for that shirt.”
Doing battle with Zak Hardaker, the club’s reigning Player of the Year, and Arthur Romano, one of eight new signings at the club, Litten knows he has to be at his best to get in the team this year, but it’s exactly that competition that is ensuring all the squad are raising their levels this winter.
“We’ve got some strength in depth in the squad now and if you have a bad session it could cost you a spot,” Litten continued. “To have people chomping at the bit, all 30 odd of us, it’s only making us better and making the training standards a lot better.
“It’s a good environment to be in. When we’ve been doing the 13 on 13 games, the competition and standard is really high. Then in the season, they’ll be people wanting to take spots and you’ve got to step up to that and train better than them. It’s good and I’m really loving my time at the moment.
“We’ve all got a really good relationship and the competition is good. Arthur has just come in, and he’s really hit the ground running. He’s fit, he’s skilful and everything that we’ve seen down at Catalans. He’s a great bloke.
“Zak, too, we’re like two peas in a pod, it’s good to go into battle with them both, but three doesn’t go into two, there’s only two centre spots, and we’ll all keep working hard to see who gets those spots come round one.”
Litten is on course to make his claim for the Bradford opener, and the Challenge Cup tie the week before. Over a minor hamstring injury that side-lined him before Christmas, the centre was front and centre of the club’s pre-season camp in North Yorkshire last week.
“It was just a little niggle, really,” Litten said. “After last year and with the hamstring injuries we had, I think they were just being safe and putting precaution first. I’m fine now. We’ve just had a tough week in camp down in Harrogate and I’m feeling good, fast and fit. I’m ready to go, we’re still a couple of weeks off games, but I’m chomping at the bit now.
“We’ve had a few tough sessions, but it’s been nice to be back and amongst the boys. It’s a bit of a lonely place to be in rehab, even though it was a short time. I’m working hard now and hopefully I’ll reap the rewards when the games start.”
And as for the club’s camp week, it was an opportune time to build combinations, work on reps, and establish more team cohesion, something which by Litten’s own account, went well.
“By the Friday, I was glad to see the back of some of them,” he joked. “But no, we had a great time. It’s always important to take those opportunities and grow as a group together, on and off the field. The bonds you create from working hard together, it doesn’t get any better than that. I feel like we’ve come out of the week well, and our togetherness has gone up another level.
“We’ve had another tough session today (Monday) – I’ll be glad to see the back of them, to be honest, but in saying that, we train pretty hard during the season as well. They are hard training sessions and they don’t go amiss.
“But the pre-season games are coming thick and fast now and they are always good to try and put your best foot forward for that round one game. Competition for places too is only going to make us want to go better and harder in the friendlies.
“I really hope I’m playing in round one but that’s five weeks away and I’ve got a lot of training and a few games to put in before that. Hopefully, I can do my bit and get into that team.”