Hull FC have been dealt a devastating blow, but will now look to respond. Here’s how they can do it.
Hull FC were well beaten at Wigan.(Image: Dave Lofthouse, Hull FC)
Hull FC were dealt a devastating blow on Monday afternoon with scans revealing that talented full-back Will Pryce has ruptured his ACL and is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season.
It’s a crushing setback for a player who worked incredibly hard to get himself fit and right for the start of the season after hamstring and foot setbacks last year. Knuckling down, Pryce, by all accounts, led the way in pre-season, with his drive and quirky personality impressing many figures at the club. He was set for a big year.
The player got off to a flyer against Bradford and while it was a tough night for all against Wigan, he was still in the thick of the action. To then suffer that level of injury in the final minutes of the game – akin to tearing his hamstring at Catalans in one of the final plays of the Perpignan encounter last May – is gutting. It really is.
But Hull are a really tight-knit unit and they will rally around the player, giving him the support he needs both physically and mentally to come back even stronger in 2027. That will be the goal, but there’s no beating around the bush that this is a real blow in the here and now.
Pryce is his own style of player in his own right and there’s no-one quite like him. ‘Quirky’ is perhaps the best way to sum him up, and Hull will miss the quirky style of player this year, with his talent, promise, and influence on the side unquestionable. It’s a big job now to replace those qualities, and ultimately everything Pryce brought to the team, but that’s the challenge awaiting Hull’s coaching staff: to find a solution that will galvanise the side and offer them some attacking and defensive respite.
On that front, it’s important not to expect the world from whoever steps in, with Hull seemingly having four internal options to call on: Zak Hardaker, Davy Litten, Logan Moy, and Lloyd Kemp. Time and patience will be required for whatever option gets the nod against York Knights on Friday night to first embed themselves into the team, and then to add their own stamp and forge combinations and links. That’s reality, and they need that luxury.
There’s also a domestic recruitment option should Hull desire it, with the club able to apply for salary cap dispensation – something they did last year to bring in Liam Knight after a season-ending injury to Ligi Sao. That is an option but again, it’s more complex than getting X or Y from rival clubs, who – Castleford Tigers, to name one – are also doing it tough. It’s also a lot more complex than saying, ‘Oh yeah, go get George Flanagan or Olly Ashall-Bott’ when they are currently starring in the Huddersfield Giants and Toulouse Olympique sides and are arguably their most prized assets.
If Hull are to go down the recruitment path, with dispensation allowing them the large majority of Pryce’s salary to use on signing a new player, then it may be a game of patience. The right option needs to present itself and one that is viable both for the club and whoever they purchase the player from. There’s also a reality that any potential signing could just be for the year, with Pryce contracted for two more seasons and, if he makes a full recovery, which he will do, being the long-term preferred option for the role. There are a few logistics at play.
Giving first dibs on a current player also builds confidence and shows that Hull are willing to back this squad with depth and competition, something they have been looking to build up over the last year. As mentioned above, there are options that the club value highly and players that have been tipped for big futures at the club. It could be a case of managing the situation cautiously and seeing how things go but make no mistake, this board have shown that they are serious and if it’s deemed that recruitment is the best fit for the club, then they will go and recruit.
It’s also important to remember Hull have a team here whose most crucial member is John Asiata – and he’s closing in on his return to action, with a decision to be made later in the week. His return is massive for Hull’s season, the way they play, the way they shape up, and the way others shape up; cue Aidan Sezer and co.
Hull are a completely different proposition with Asiata in the side and he will take them to another level – perhaps even more so once James Bell returns as well. That’s another component that will require patience but it does also provide hope.
Obviously, there’s no escaping that Hull will have to adapt their game now; they will know that, but the tools are there in John Cartwright and co. to formulate a plan. And while we’re all worrying about personnel and who fits where, there’s no escaping the fact that fundamentally Hull need to fix themselves up after two loose displays with nearly 100 missed tackles made. They need to get their first contact right, control tackles better, and give themselves a right to win rucks and therefore field position, momentum, and a foothold.
Rather than worrying and getting technical, it’s the basic fundamental improvements that could do Hull the most good in the near future. Get them right and they have something to build on. And then – with their new full-back, Asiata, and the like – they can get into their groove again.