Hull FC are preparing to enter a new era under Steve McNamara with the Warrington Wolves assistant boss just weeks away from arriving at the MKM Stadium.
McNamara was appointed back in April, with the club moving swiftly to replace John Cartwright, and he has been making plenty of plans behind the scenes before the start of pre-season in the first week of November.
A raft of new signings will be joining McNamara at FC, but much of the squad will be made up of players who will be familiar to supporters.
A number of those sticking around will have points to prove at FC too, following a difficult 2026 campaign in which Hull finished two points off the bottom of the Super League table.
Here’s a look at those who enter the new season with something to prove.
Herman Ese’ese
The future of Ese’ese has been a long-running saga with the prop being linked to a number of Super League clubs online in recent months. As things stand it looks as though Ese’ese will be staying with the club, though, and he’s been working hard during his down time in Australia over the off-season to put himself in a position to start pre-season on the right foot.
Ese’ese missed the start of last season due to the Achilles injury he picked up in 2025 and the feeling is that a full pre-season will serve him well as he looks to get back towards his best.
His performances were hit and miss to say the least, with his outing at Leigh Leopards standing out as a positive, while he struggled to catch the eye elsewhere.
He’ll be determined to set the record straight next season though, and rediscover that type of form that forced Hull to give him a four-year contract back in March 2025.
Denive Balmforth
The hooker has spent the last season and half away from FC on loan with spells coming at Catalans Dragons and York Knights, with the 2026 campaign being spent with the latter.
For a period it looked as though his time at the club might be over, but he’ll be given the chance to prove himself next season it seems, and he’ll be desperate to find some traction in west Hull and a regular role within McNamara’s team.
Balmforth did well at York and he’s highly thought of among the FC fanbase, he just needs the opportunity to show what he can do.
Ed Chamberlain
Another who probably thought his time at FC might be over as he left the club to join Bradford Bulls on loan before the 2026 campaign, Chamberlain has returned to FC and it appears right now as though he might have a role to play.
Chamberlain isn’t expected to be a recognised starter under McNamara, but he will be seen as a cover option at centre or in the back-row and it’ll be up to him to give the new head coach something to think about moving forwards.
How much an opportunity he gets remains to be seen, but after being shipped out last year to Odsal, he’ll be keen to impress. And, with his contract expiring at the end of the 2027 campaign, he has his future in the game to think about too.