Jordan Abdull | Player's Perspective

In 2017, Hull KR were gearing up to fight their way back into Super League. The Robins suffered a heart-breaking defeat in the 2016 Million Pound Game thanks to a Gareth O’Brien drop goal in golden point.

That anguish was offset by a determination to claw their way straight back into the topflight. And thankfully for the Robins, that determination prevailed. Many of that 2017 squad have now departed, with only a handful of players remaining.

Jordan Abdull is one of them. Although he left the Robins at the end of 2017 after finishing his season long loan from parent club Hull FC - it’s a season he remembers well.

He returned to Hull FC in 2018 before spending a season in the capital with London Broncos, followed by a return to Hull KR last year to pick up where he left off after their 2017 success.

And Abdull credits Hull KR’s ascent to two important bits of business by the club - their appointment of Tim Sheens to lead their 2017 revival, followed by the arrival of current head coach, Tony Smith.

Although Sheens and Smith were somewhat different in their approach, Abdull believes it’s their similarities that have helped the Robins prosper.

“I think one of the main reasons the club got out of the little hole when they were relegated are the two coaches they brought in at the time. As much as they were both different, they both had similar mindsets in the way that they see the club, and they both had nothing but positive things to say about the future of the club – and it’s coming to fruition now.

“Bringing in Tim Sheens when they were relegated to the Championship was a really good bit of business – bringing in a coach of that calibre and the wealth of knowledge he has of the game to get the team back into Super League was great. Then bringing in Tony Smith after that – another coach who has a wealth of knowledge and has coached at really successful teams.??

Abdull was drawn to a return to East Hull thanks to those similarities – the vision for the future of the club has never wavered and both coaches attacking ethos has created a dream environment for the half back.

“Tim and Tony enjoy the attacking side of rugby. As a half back, they’re the type of coach that will get you going. Especially with Tim, I was only 20 or 21 when I was there. He just gave me the opportunity to go out and express myself.

“Tony’s got a very similar mindset to Tim – it’s almost like having a very similar coach. He just backs me to do whatever I see on the field, and he’ll just support me.??

Jordan Abdull is having some season 🙌

Two more tries for the @hullkrofficial half-back yesterday against the Dragons 😎#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/x5P9kS8ZGY
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) July 25, 2021

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the flamboyant Robins, however. Just last year, they finished bottom of the table after a disrupted season. But after an impressive turnaround, they are preparing to face Warrington Wolves in the 2021 Play-Offs.

As a club, Hull KR have become known for their exciting, unpredictable brand of rugby. And Abdull again credits Head Coach, Smith – the former coach of Friday’s opponents Warrington – for the Robins eye-catching attacking mindset.

“He gives you the confidence you may have not had beforehand.

“The thing that Tony says is ‘it’s not a risk if you play what you see, as long as you execute it’. It’s a weird line but if you’re confident you’re going to execute it, then why is it risky? And it’s just a good way to look at it.

“If you want to throw a certain pass that some people may question and you’re confident that you can do it, then why is it a risk at all.

“The misconception is that we sort of make it up as we go along. That’s not really the case – we do have game plans and we do have structured plays; we just try and not rely on that one big play to get us over the line. We try and play every play and if you do get an offload, then get on the back of it and support each other.

“As much as it might look like we’re running around making it up as we go along, there is method to the madness. It’s taken us 18 months to get us executing it well, it’s had a little trial and error about it. But like I said, the more confidence you get and the more you learn about the strengths of the players around you, the more the unstructured method becomes your structure.??

And confidence is running firmly through the veins of Abdull. The Hull born half-back has enjoyed a career best season in 2021 and just this week earned him a place on the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel contenders list.

Here they are 💪 The 5 contenders to become 2021 @StevePrescott1 MBE #ManOfSteel 👀 🔥

Who are you backing? 🤔

Tune into the @Betfred #SuperLeague Awards to find out the winner on Monday 4 October, Sky Sports Mix, 8pm 📺 pic.twitter.com/TWWxjVq7ZB
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 23, 2021

Despite a string of commanding performances, Abdull is quick to avert attention elsewhere, recognising the contributions of his coach and teammates in helping him progress this season.

“I think the coach has got a lot to do with it. If you’ve got a coach that gives you confidence that you probably didn’t even know you needed, it gives you that extra bit of confidence to go out and perform.

“When I was a young kid playing amateur rugby, there was no structure or worries. It didn’t really matter whether you win or lose, you just went out and you had fun. And I kind of get that vibe off Tony.

“If you go out and you enjoy what you’re doing, you’re probably going to play a lot better than going into a game worrying about all the things you could do wrong.

“I think the change in my mindset on that has brought a lot more out of my game than probably what I believed I had in me to begin with.

“But also, if you look on the left edge that I play on, I’d find it hard to find a half back in Super League that wouldn’t be playing well with those people around him. I’ve got Kane Linnett, Ryan Hall and Shaun Kenny-Dowall – I’m blessed to be on an edge with such potent attacking threats who also help me out defensively.

“The experience I’ve got around me frees me up to do the more instinctive stuff that I can rely on when I need it, but they’re also there to reign me in if I’m trying a bit too much. It’s a nice balance that I’ve got on that edge, but I think I’m just in a blessed position.??

The form of the Robins potent left edge, alongside a visible togetherness throughout the squad, has earned them a hard-fought place in the top six.

They travel to Warrington on Friday Night to take on a Wolves side that are widely expected to come out victorious. Nevertheless, Abdull refuses to buy in to that narrative and is confident the Robins can turn over the Wolves on a ground they have failed to beat them on since April 2014.

“I wouldn’t call it an upset if we beat them. I’d just see it as us beating a team that’s around us in the table. They’re a quality team and they rightfully finished third in the league. I feel like they were the third best team in the league behind Saints and Catalans.

They’ve got a lot to prove this year. They’ve recruited well and there’s a lot of pressure that they’ve put on themselves internally. But we’ve just got to match that – we need to be just as desperate as Warrington will be to get the win and get into the semi-finals.

“We’re not going in with the underdog mentality, we’re going into the game full of confidence. I’m definitely looking forward to it, there’s no reason for us not to go over there full of confidence and look to turn them over at their place.??

Whatever happens on Friday Night, the Robins have proved many people wrong this season. And this is just the start. Abdull believes the possibilities are endless for this group of players and that more success is just around the corner.

“I’d like to say we’re only going to get better. The skies the limit – we’ve shown where we can come from in the space of 12 months so after another good preseason who knows where we can be. I think we’ve got such a good balance of some experienced people from the NRL and a good crop of young players.

“Who knows where we can end up. It all depends on our mindset and how hard we want to work in preseason and where we want to go as a team, because there shouldn’t be anything that can hold us back.

“I want to stay at this club and be a part of something that’s really special at the minute and going forward, I can only see positive things coming.??