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2025 Season Review: Hull FC

9 hrs

Hull FC are roaming again, with the Black & Whites making progress under their new boss in 2025.

It took incoming coach John Cartwright just four matches to surpass Hull FC’s 2024 Betfred Super League points total.

And despite losing a host of key figures to injury and ultimately missing out on the top six, there’s undoubtedly a significantly brighter outlook at the Black and Whites than there was this time last year.

Much of that should be put down to the attitude Cartwright installed into his players, which - an early 4-46 defeat to Wigan aside - saw the end of the frequent heavy defeats that characterised recent seasons.

Even when down to depleted numbers at various stages in the campaign, Hull remained largely competitive, and also recorded a host of memorable wins, starting in Perpignan in Round One, a result that set the side’s new stall out early.

Victory against Warrington in mid-April had Hull in second place, before a run of four straight defeats dropped them back into the scramble for sixth spot.

That bid would eventually fall just short, but the second half of the year included impressive wins over Leigh (twice), Wakefield and Wigan which kept the Black and Whites in the hunt right until the final day of the season.

In total, Hull took 11 points off Play-Offs teams, including one in one of the most captivating matches of the season, a 22-22 draw with the Leopards in March when even golden point extra-time couldn’t separate the teams.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of 2025 was the three defeats to rivals Hull KR, including in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals at home.

But the gap between the clubs has undeniably closed this year, and with some impressive recruits secured for 2026, FC will be confident that trend continues next season.

Overseas stars Aidan Sezer and Herman Ese’ese led the side from halfback and front row respectively for the vast majority of the campaign, before the club’s injury jinx struck the latter in the closing weeks.

Among the key figures to miss significant chunks of the year were mid-season capture Will Pryce, loose forward John Asiata and the experienced Ligi Sao.

But what that did do is open up opportunities for a host of talented youngsters emerging through the club’s junior system, many of whom became pivotal figures in the side.

Flying Lewis Martin was arguably the pick finishing as top try scorer in a breakthrough year, while opposite winger Harvey Barron also had a hugely impressive year.

Injury? No problem says Martin ?

Showing us why he is the top try scorer ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/uvQStjaEkK
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) August 16, 2025

Davy Litten, Logan Moy, Matty Laidlaw and Denive Balmforth were others to impress at various stages, along with the more established Zak Hardaker, Cade Cust and another mid-season capture Liam Knight.

With the likes of Sam Lisone, James Bell and Jake Arthur already confirmed for 2026 - and several of those injured players expected to be back to full fitness - the Black and Whites will hope their upward trend under Cartwright now continues.

Key Man

The experienced Zak Hardaker played in a host of positions across the course of the season and played his full part for the side in every one.

Rising Star

Plenty to choose from, but prolific winger and Super League's top try scorer Lewis Martin has emerged as one of the rising stars of the whole competition not just Hull.