WHEN Adam Swift was named as one of the departures from Hull FC at the end of the 2023 Super League season, Black and Whites fans were widely disappointed.
Swift, 30, registered 19 tries in 24 appearances for FC during 2023, making it a total of 36 tries in 55 appearances during his four-year stint at the MKM Stadium.
Now the fleet-footed winger has explained his decision to leave Hull.
“I was ready to come home from Hull, we had been there for four years and me and the missus were getting a bit homesick,” Swift told League Express.
“It sounds a bit petty as we are only a couple of hours away from where we live, but we have got kids now and my wife had job opportunities that won’t be there forever and she needed to take those on.
“It was a good option to play for the Giants and that option included moving back home and getting set up with the family which will give me the chance to play some high-quality rugby with a great bunch of lads.”
Did Swift have other offers from Super League rivals and how would he sum up his time at Hull?
“Yes and no, it’s one of them, I’m not going to be boasting about who was in for me and who wasn’t. I was happy with getting the deal over the table with Huddersfield for the next three years.
“I started a bit poorly with inconsistent rugby and injuries which affected me early on but I couldn’t have finished any better with the side. I picked up some really nice accolades at the end of the 2023 season. So overall I started pretty poorly but I finished strong and the way I wanted to.”
Whilst Swift enjoyed a terrific year in 2023, the same cannot be said of the Black and Whites who finished tenth on the Super League ladder.
But why was that?
“We don’t know, as a team we would always try to improve and do what’s best for the side. We just couldn’t come up with the right combinations or throw some consistent rugby out there.
“It was a frustrating year but I can’t pinpoint exactly what went wrong. There were numerous things, but that is behind me now and I will concentrate on Huddersfield.”
How did Huddersfield head coach Ian Watson sell Swift the dream at the John Smith’s Stadium?
“Ian’s ambition and how he sees the side going and what the future is for the club were massive.
“We have got a good group of youngsters coming through at the minute. We have got a new training facility and the vision of where we want to be at the end of the year was important.
“I believe every word that Ian says, we play this game to win and that’s what we will be doing week in, week out.
“We will be a ruthless side this year and I want to be a part of a ruthless winning side. I’m coming to the back end of my career and I want to be picking up a bit more silverware than I have been doing in recent years.”
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