Zak Hardaker is ready to get back to business at Castleford with a solid performance.
Hull FC star Zak Hardaker.
Zak Hardaker will attack Hull FC’s game at Castleford Tigers in the only way he knows how: full steam ahead.
The Black and Whites are looking to kick on again and put a turbulent two weeks behind them, with John Cartwright ‘stepped down’ and Andy Last placed in interim charge.
Looking to keep their season in check, Hull head to West Yorkshire as the competition completes its first third of the year, knowing a win will do wonders for their own play-off hopes and season ambitions. And for Hardaker, who recently signed a one-year extension for the 2027 season, it’s now very much business as usual.
“We just turn up and we train,” Hardaker, asked about how the players have coped with recent events, said. “We focus on the game ahead. It’s a massive game for us now to try and start building some momentum up the table and get some points on the board.
“It’s been a big week and I’m looking forward to it. As a senior player, I’ve just tried to turn up to training with the right attitude and set a bit of an example. We’re still here to work, no matter what goes on above us, and that’s been the message for all of the players.
“We’re determined to play our best rugby. We’ve trained really well, so it’s up to us to go out tomorrow and get the two points and show the fans that as players, we’re focused on the games and we’ll try our best.”
Outlining the week, which saw a squad brief from CEO Richie Myler, Hardaker continued: “It was nothing different from what was said in the interview, really. He’s got a job to do for the club in the future and Andrew Thirkill (co-owner) is the same.
“We’ve got a big year ahead now and we’re not throwing in the towel. We’re only a couple of wins away from the play-offs and we’ve got some games coming up that are juicy.
“We’ve just tried to steady the ship. Whatever goes on, it’s important for us to stay focused on turning up to training with the right attitude, training well, and making sure the skill is good.
“There were some positive signs from the St Helens game; we’ve got a tough fixture now at Castleford, but if we start well and play to our standards, then we’ll get the two points. It’s up to us to do that.
“We can only keep on giving 100% and that’s what we’ll do. We’ve played some big teams and we’ve come up short on a few occasions. It’s just up to us to turn it around. We are more than confident that we can do that.”
Hardaker’s confidence also comes from their interim coach, Andy Last, who has instilled some passion in the group this week.
“He wants us to be proud and play for the badge,” Hardaker added. “Lasty is really proud of his roots and we all know how much it means to him to lead out the club.
“We want to do Lasty proud and go out there and do our best. It’s about working hard, making ourselves accountable, and just being a close-knit group.
“It’s not going to be a massive change (with Lasty in charge). It’s just a reset in terms of mentality. We’ve had some clear messages that we need to do well and I’m confident that if 17 players take them on board, we’ll get the win. It’s up to us now to go out and do that now on the pitch.”