Hull FC 2024 season preview
2023 recap
2023 was a year to forget for the Black & Whites, who went into the campaign with high hopes. They started the season with back-to-back wins against Castleford and Leeds, but they proved to be a false dawn, as they were swiftly followed by seven straight defeats. Three straight wins came after that to give them a glimmer of hope in reaching the top six, but they never climbed higher than 8th throughout the rest of 2023, and finished the season with six straight defeats.
2023 position: 10th
Key signings
Herman Ese’ese (Dolphins), Jayden Okunbor (Canterbury Bulldogs), Franklin Pele (Canterbury Bulldogs), Jack Walker (Hull KR), Liam Tindall (Leeds Rhinos), Jack Ashworth (Huddersfield Giants) Morgan Smith (Wakefield Trinity) Damel Diakhate (Albi), Fa’amanu Brown (Newcastle Knights)
Key departures
Chris Satae (Catalans Dragons), Jake Clifford (North Queensland Cowboys), Adam Swift (Huddersfield Giants), Andre Savelio (Huddersfield Giants) Ben McNamara (Leigh Leopards), Brad Dwyer (Warrington Wolves), Scott Taylor (Retired)
Players to watch
This could be the year we see Jake Trueman fulfil his potential. After bursting onto the scene as a youngster at Castleford, his career’s stalled a little in recent years – largely due to injury – but if he can stay fit in 2024, he could be in for a big year.
Still the right side of 30, and with more than 100 NRL games under his belt, Herman Ese’ese is one of the signings to watch this year, not just for Hull, but for the whole of Super League. The powerful prop made 20 appearances for the Dolphins in 2023, so his arrival could be a bit of a coup for the Black & Whites.
Young gun
Davy Litten established himself in the side last year, with 15 appearances in Super League, covering at both fullback and on the wing. The 20-year-old probably won’t start the year in the starting XIII, but any injuries or loss of form to the team’s regular starters could see him force his way in and cement a starting place.
Our prediction – 7th
This may be a case of ‘famous last words’, but I can’t see Hull being as bad as they were last year. Herman Ese’ese and Jayden Okunbor are two solid additions from the NRL, while Jack Walker’s a great backup option at fullback if he can stay fit. The Black & Whites will be aiming to make a serious push at squeezing into the top six, but I reckon they’ll fall just short. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them have a run to the Challenge Cup Final though.
