Opinion: Why it’s a big year for Hull FC
2022 could prove to be a big year for Brett Hodgson and Hull FC.
The club last lifted a trophy in the form of the Challenge Cup in 2017, and haven’t featured in a Super League Grand Final since 2006.
The side did win the prestigious Challenge Cup back-to-back, lifting the trophy in 2016 following a victory over Warrington before lifting it again the year after against Wigan.
However, the closest they’ve been to a final in recent times was hosting the 2020 Super League Grand Final between St Helens and Wigan.
This season could be a big one for the club, and no doubt those higher up will be expecting a trophy with the squad they have assembled over recent years.
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It will only be head coach Hodgson’s second season in charge of the club, but all pressure could be on to deliver a trophy.
Darnell McIntosh, Luke Gale, Joe Lovodua and Kane Evans have all been recruited for the 2022 campaign. Add that list to the likes of Josh Reynolds, Jake Connor and Manu Ma’u, the club will be expecting some more success this year.
The MKM Stadium side did struggle with injury and Covid last campaign. You could also claim a transitioning period for the club with the arrival of the new head coach.
They lost centre Josh Griffin to a horrific Achilles tendon in July. Reynolds also struggled with injuries, vowing to bounce back and ‘prove a point’ in 2022.
The pressure is on
After seven seasons in charge at Hull, club chairman Adam Pearson announced Lee Radford’s sacking live on Sky Sports following a defeat by Warrington at home.
That will surely put Hodgson and any future head coach under pressure at the club. The sacking was a controversial one, apparently blindsiding Radford, who will take charge of Castleford in 2022.
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There’s no doubting that Pearson has put his money and backing into the squad, but he will now be hoping to be rewarded in results and ultimately trophies.
The club finished only eighth in 2021, winning just eight games all season. The year before they finished sixth, with just one more win.
The club did finish at the top in 2016. Their best finish after then came in 2017, finishing third above the likes of St Helens, Wigan and Warrington.
A team full with talent like Hull – Gale, Reynolds, Connor, Carlos Tuimavave, for example – should be pushing for a top spot in 2022.
They open their new campaign away at Wakefield, and it could prove to be an important year for Hodgson and his experienced players.
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