Callum Kemp on Hull FC’s pre-season, taking his chances, and Jake Arthur’s first impression.
Hull FC twins Lloyd Kemp and Callum Kemp. (Image: )
Hull FC’s Callum Kemp is a mature head on young shoulders. Speak to his coaches and they mention that maturity, that composure, and how he doesn’t get flustered from situation to situation.
Those qualities can be the makings of a half-back, and Kemp has the talent to back them up. That’s why Hull, both coaches and senior figures alike, are backing him to lead the side in the season’s to come.
And while patience is the name of the game right now, Kemp is expected to get his shot in Hull’s first pre-season game this Sunday against Huddersfield Giants. Lining up for Brad Fash’s testimonial match, the 19-year-old has put the reps in this winter, taking a leading role while Aidan Sezer wasn’t in full training, and is now ready to take his opportunity if and when it comes.
“We haven’t finalised the team yet, but it’d be nice to blow some cobwebs off and get out there for Fashy,” Kemp, speaking to Hull Live, said. “It’s been a pretty big pre-season for me and I’ve got through it pretty clean in terms of knocks and stuff.
“It’s been good to get a long run of training in – plenty of hard work has gone into it and we’ve all got our heads down as a group, but on a personal note, I’ve been pretty happy with it.
“It’s been tough and it’s definitely picked up a bit more compared to last year. There has been different challenges but I feel like we’re definitely going in the right direction.”
Outlining the build-up of pre-season, Kemp continued: “We did some edge on edge stuff at the start, and it was good to get some reps in with different people, learning what they want and learning different ways on how to play the game.
“After Christmas, we’ve come back with a mindset of going into the games. We’ve had a good run of 13 on 13, it’s been really sharp, and some of the skills from the signings that we’ve made have been good. We’re in a good place – we’re just preparing for the games now.”
Getting some runs on the board alongside Jake Arthur early doors, there’s no surprise which new signing has caught the teenager’s eye, with Sezer, one of the most experienced players at the club, continuing to play his mentor role.
“He’s been good,” Kemp said on Arthur. “I didn’t see too much of him over in the NRL, but he’s come in and really impressed. I’ve tried to pick his brains where I can. He’s a good lad as well. I’ve been really impressed with him.
“Seze, too – he’s always there – he’s just a bloke you can go to. We’re probably a bit closer now than we were last year with him just coming in, but he’s always there if I need a bit of help or if I just want to get a bit of advice.”
Knuckling down in training, Kemp is keeping his counsel, waiting in the wings for his chances. In fact, the teenager, who added three more senior appearances to his 2024 debut last year, has one thing on his mind: improvement.
“Being young, you’re always there and you’re always wanting to play, but you’ve got to get your head down in training and bide your time,” the half-back said. “I did that and it was good to get the games in at the back end of the year. I tried to put my best foot forward and did what I could with the time I got.
“It’s the same again this year. I’ll just bide my time, work hard, keep learning off the other players, and when my chance comes, do what I can. I just want to keep working on my game and go in every day with the mindset of getting better. Again, when the opportunity comes, I’ll try to take it.”
Kemp knows those opportunities will come, having seen first hand the rise of Lewis Martin, Harvey Barron, Davy Litten and co. Following suit is the long-term goal for the Hull Wyke junior, with a crop of youngsters looking to make their mark, from Kemp’s own twin brother Lloyd, to Will Kirby, Lennon Clark and the like.
“It’s nice to see a lot of young Hull talent coming through,” Kemp added. “That’s the aim of the club to go down in that direction, and to see boys from your junior club too, it makes it even nicer when you’ve all grown up together.
“We all push each other on and we’re all happy for each other when we get our chances. We want to see each other do well and there is a pathway here. We’ve seen that with Lewis and Harvey. It’s definitely an incentive for us to keep going and try to get better every day.”