A year of progress for Hull FC, but now they must kick on.
New Year’s Eve is a day of reflection. It’s a chance to look back at the last year’s achievements, challenges and so on, to review progress, kickstart intentions, and the like. For Hull FC, a club whose trajectory is on the front foot once again, it’s an apt opportunity, for this year, this is a practice centred on positivity.
It’s a story we’ve been lucky enough to document all year, round by round, week by week, month by month, and it’s only just getting started. It’s one led by John Cartwright, who came into the club as its new head coach and fronted the change that has altered perception, restored pride, and put one huge word back into the entire organisation: connection.
Building that connection has been a team effort, from a group of players who never throw the towel in to a set of staff, performance and off field, who share a common goal. It’s a connection resonated in its supporters, who like a religious pilgrimage, follow their side every game, win or lose, and in any kind of weather.
That power should never be understated, and in that power, there has been pride. Pride in a club that has restored its values, that has built everything on hard work, that has unleashed raw and local talent, and that continues to build its way back up.
From Hull’s opening Super League night in Perpignan, this team was on the rise again. That Valentine’s Day night, they were superb, and they reached those heights again and again. At Wakefield. At Warrington. At Leigh. At Catalans once more. At Wigan. And Wigan again. Eventually, Hull’s away form transpired to their home ground, with Wakefield getting the monkey off the back and nights that whetted the appetite followed against Leigh and Warrington.
Of course, it wasn’t always flashy and in a year that was always going to have its ups and downs, it certainly wasn’t easy. There were moments of frustration and results that got away, results that went against the grain and cost the club a Super League play-off position. But that disappointment fuels the fire for the future.
Context is also a big word when looking back on Hull’s 2025 season. Many of the team’s qualities were led on things like hard work, grit, unity, resilience, and the like. And that, amongst moments of genuine quality, brought them their praises, for those fundamentals have been sorely lacking in Hull teams of recent years.
On that front, it’s important to remember where Hull have come from. Too many times have the Black and Whites been accused of having a soft underbelly. They were the team that wilted under pressure, who got hammered again and again, and to the point of humiliation. That just isn’t the case anymore. In fact, the perception now is night and day. The mood couldn’t be more sinister at points during 2024, but like it does every year, the off season, centred on change, brought hope.
Change has been everything, it has been gargantuan, and it’s come in many forms, from the aforementioned Cartwright, to the returns of Gareth Ellis, Andy Last, etc, to new signings like Zak Hardaker and Aidan Sezer where everyone had something to say. Change has been brought about by young superstars like Harvey Barron and Lewis Martin, whose stock continues to rise after a sensational year that brought with it 32 tries – the best of which saw the then 20-year-old have the audacity to take on Bevan French, round him, and leave him for dead. The scenes.
Change continues to be cemented in retention and recruitment and a desire to go again, to get more consistent, and improve. There’s a drive to do just that, and the likes of Hardaker, along with leaders like John Asiata, James Bell, and Will Pryce, have all laid out their intention.
The best is still to come and the goal now is to get a finals spot in 2026. That’s the minimum goal as this team – with eight new additions from the likes of Jake Arthur to Joe Batchelor and Sam Lisone – believe they can achieve more. And that confidence is fair game, especially if consistently and availability become two of their biggest strengths.
Improving both their attack and defence, Hull have restored confidence this year. There’s belief again among an organisation that is fun to be around and observe. It’s got its charm back. It’s got an identity.
Hull FC is infectious. It always has been to this writer and always will be. And while the foundation has been laid, the challenge now is to raise the bar again. This is a club who fell to one of its lowest ebbs, but it’s now on its way back up. What’s in store? We shall wait and see. But as always, it will be a flirty, dramatic, and captivating, rollercoaster that we just can’t get enough of. Happy New Year. And bring it on.