Hull FC sit sixth in Super League at the halfway stage of the 2025 season. It’s safe to assume most people would have taken that if offered it at the start, but it’s also fair to say that this team, who did flirt with the top of the table early on this year, could be sitting higher, with some frustrating defeats to their name, and none more so than last Friday’s affair to Castleford.
That’s not to disrespect the Tigers, who fully deserved the win, but to more acknowledge the standards Hull have set this season – standards, for all the good the away side did, that they fell below at the MKM Stadium. However, despite a disappointing feeling around last week, that doesn’t take the shine off what has been a satisfactory first half of the season for the Black and Whites.
There’s been plenty of good. New signings John Asiata, Aidan Sezer, and Zak Hardaker have all struck a chord with this team, and Will Pryce, arriving in April, has had his moments, with team traits like resilience, grit, togetherness, and the like standing out – and ensuring wins at Catalans (twice), Wigan, Warrington, Wakefield, Leigh, and the like.
Elsewhere, young wingers Harvey Barron and, in particular, Lewis Martin have excelled, while youth opportunities have continued to come for Logan Moy, Davy Litten, and most recently, Matty Laidlaw. In fact, Martin has been a real success story, with the 20-year-old continuing to get better and better. He has 18 tries to his name in 17 games this season, but more importantly, he never goes hiding when it comes to the tough carries in the backfield, while his defensive reads are getting better. He’s full of effort, energy, and enthusiasm, and fans can relate to that.
It’s rubbed off on the team. Head coach John Cartwright, whose impact has been there to see, even lauded the young winger duo as Hull’s inspiration earlier this season, such was their volume of work and role in the team. There’s hope more young talent will follow suit, but it’s certainly been welcome to see experience lead the side this year.
On that front, Sezer has been superb, as has Asiata prior to injury. The influence the duo have is enormous – everything goes through them – and they are instrumental to the shape Hull play off, which, when it clicks, is very easy on the eye. Getting Asiata and Pryce back on the field is crucial, with both players currently out with hamstring blows.
Of course, not everything has been perfect – it was never going to be the first year in what needed to be, after some torrid seasons, a full and complete rebuild, and there have been some ups and downs and twists and turns, to say the least. It’s never different following Hull, but the good certainly outweighs the bumps seen so far – from said frustrating defeats to injuries and a brief issue with discipline.
But sticking with the good, off the field, the club feels together again, from the squad and staff to CEO Richie Myler and owners Andrew Thirkill and David Hood. They are one, and that echoes right through. It’s also resonated with the supporters, and that has really shown on the road, where Hull have won all of their games so far this season.
Transpiring that success into home results is now the challenge, with Hull looking to match the tough, disciplined and honest performances seen away from home. They were erratic against Castleford, pushing the pass in what was a sloppy account, with previous victories built on a recipe of solid completion rates, turning the ball over in good areas, and tough defence – eventually grinding oppositions out and letting their strike players get into their groove. Ensuring those standards don’t slip is the key to this side now kicking on in the final few months of the year.
Hull have been notoriously bad in the second half of the season in recent years, and that’s a trend that they will want to buck as soon as possible. They have a real chance to build on a promising start now. Finishing in the top six would be a fine return. It’s possible too.
But as Cartwright constantly says, you can’t get caught up in looking at the table, and for this Hull side, it’s very much about performance and nailing it week to week and not thinking about anything else. Right now that focus has to be on Salford, sticking to their tested structures and processes and not deviating away from them. Do that, and two points is more than achievable. And then it’s on to Warrington and so on.
That mentality, driven by their head coach, could see Hull home, with performances taking care of results. Hull aren’t good enough to not play well and win, so it’s performances that matter, sticking to standards and the plan. Do that consistently, and this team will get their rewards.