Super League 2019 Season Preview: Hull putting last season behind them
Hull had a year to forget last season, suffering a dismal second half of the campaign.
They lost all seven games in the Super 8s, meaning they have lost their last 11 games, something that they will be even more desperate to change when they visit Hull KR for a mouth-watering opener on Friday.
Questions have been asked of their recruitment, where they have delved in to the lower leagues for new signings, but they still have a large number of the quality that led them to two Challenge Cup successes in recent years.
Hull will be part of the middle group of teams that have designs on a top five finish, but where a bad run could have them sucked in to a dogfight.
Skipper Danny Houghton said: “It’s been questioned about what we did last season, but it’s about moving forward now. The past is the past. We move on and correct what we did last year, but we’re ready for the challenge.
“Odds are odds and pundits are pundits, but we believe we can win. We believe we’ve got enough to challenge for silverware this year.
“We’re confident moving forward, it’s a new start, everyone’s on zero points (Or not – Ed) and we’re looking forward to it as much as everyone else is.”
Coach: Lee Radford
Assistant: Gareth Ellis
Captain: Danny Houghton
Key Man: Marc Sneyd
One to Watch: Danny Langtree
Ins: Matty Dawson-Jones (Leigh), Jordan Thompson (Leeds), Levy Nzoungo (Salford), Danny Langtree (Oldham)
Outs: Ross Osborne (York), Jordan Abdull (London B), Jansin Turgut (Salford), Andrew Bulman (Whitehaven)
Squad: 1 Jamie Shaul,2 Bureta Faraimo, 3 Carlos Tuimavave, 4 Josh Griffin, 5 Fetuli Talanoa, 6 Albert Kelly, 7 Marc Sneyd, 8 Scott Taylor, 9 Danny Houghton, 10 Josh Bowden, 11 Dean Hadley, 12 Mark Minichiello, 13 Joe Westerman, 14 Jake Connor, 15 Chris Green, 16 Jordan Thompson, 17 Matty Dawson-Jones, 18 The Old Faithful, 19 Masi Matongo, 20 Brad Fash, 21 Sika Manu, 22 Jordan Lane, 23 Mickey Paea, 24 Jack Logan, 25 Danny Langtree, 26 Lewis Bienek, 27 Hakim Miloudi, 28 Jez Litten, 29 Levy Nzoungou, 30 Danny Washbrook, 31 Liam Harris, 32 Cameron Scott
Prediction: 8th