Hull FC will look very different in 2027.
New Hull FC signing Daly Cherry-Evans.(Image: Getty)
Hull FC have signed eight players for the 2027 season to date and therefore will look very different under their new head coach, Steve McNamara, next year.
It’s fair to suggest several of those signings will be in the 17 as well, with the likes of Daly Cherry-Evans leading the side and Isaac Liu and Joshua Coric adding some steel to the forward pack.
But what dilemmas could unfold elsewhere? Here, Hull Live takes a look.
At full-back, Bailey Hodgson is a firm option after signing from Leigh Leopards, but despite Will Pryce’s move to the halves to partner DCE, his spot isn’t a guarantee. Logan Moy, even more determined after a breakout season in 2026, will be gunning to keep hold of the place he bravely took on this year, with an intriguing pre-season battle unfolding.
As for the wings, Harvey Barron and Lewis Martin look set to start, but they’ll be kept on their toes by new man Connor Barley. In the centres, Hodgson is an option should Moy prove too good to leave out, while Jordan Swann and Junior Pauga are expected to be the frontrunners at this stage. Lloyd Kemp, comfortable in numerous positions, is another to watch out for.
The halves are left vacant for Pryce and Cherry-Evans, and what a combination that promises to be, with the likes of Callum Kemp learning from a genuine NRL icon. Up front, Harvie Hill is going to get the support to ensure he has the best chance of kicking on himself and that support could come from Lui, with another new signing at hooker in Alrix Da Costa.
In the back row, Joe Batchelor and Ethan O’Neill could be the first point of call, but they’ll be hotly competed by Connor Bailey and young gun Lennon Clark after an encouraging first season. At loose-forward, a fit again John Asiata is poised to take the role from first receiver as the side’s middle link.
The interchange will depend on how McNamara will utilise his forward pack, but two middles in Herman Ese’ese, who, at this stage, looks set to stay, and Joshua Coric certainly ensure a mixture of props in the side, and should work in tandem with Lui and Hill depending what combinations and qualities the coach is looking for. Yusuf Aydin and Max Wood ensure there is depth and competition in the middle.
Denive Balmforth is expected to get a shot at hooker next season, with the final interchange spot perhaps going to James Bell, who can cover both the back row and loose-forward positions – a key reason why he was brought to the club last year.
How Hull FC could line up in 2027: Bailey Hodgson; Harvey Barron, Jordan Swann, Junior Pauga, Lewis Martin; Will Pryce, Daly Cherry-Evans; Isaac Liu, Alrix Da Costa, Harvie Hill; Joe Batchelor, Ethan O’Neill; John Asiata. Interchange: Denive Balmforth, Herman Ese’ese, Joshua Coric, James Bell