JOHN ASIATA has explained that the chance for “a new journey” and to “make a difference in peoples’ lives” were the reasons for taking up a new challenge at Hull FC.
Following three seasons with the Leigh Leopards, the Tongan international decided to swap the Leigh Sports Village for the MKM Stadium as part of a major rebuild under new director of rugby Richie Myler and new boss John Cartwright.
It was a move that took a number of people by surprise considering his importance to the Leigh outfit, but now Asiata has spoken out on the move and why he made it.
“The first thing was the opportunity of a new journey for myself,” Asiata told BBC Radio Humberside.
“And the second one was seeing the young players that were coming through and being able to make a difference in peoples’ lives.
“I’ve been there as a junior and I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with some great players such as Johnathan Thurston who have helped me with my game and taught me along the way.
“For me, I would like to give back and there are a lot of youngsters here who are very very talented and I’m hoping that I can play a role in taking their careers to the next step.”
Of course, being a Hull FC player means Asiata will experience the derby game with bitter rivals Hull KR for the first time in 2025.
And it’s fair to say that he is looking forward to the prospect.
“I’m very excited,” Asiata said about the derby.
“I know how big the game is for both teams. It’s one of the games I’ve looked at to see when we’re playing because it’s one I want to be a part of.
“I’m excited to see how we turn up. I wouldn’t say there is pressure on us. The only thing we need to focus on is us. There are a lot of changes and some new players in the squad so it’s all about building relationships at this stage.
“The more games we play together, the more we bond and those relationships grow. All we want to do as a squad is to make our fans proud in how we turn up and how we play. Effort-based areas are number one in what we want to be known for.”
