SAM LISONE is looking forward to reuniting with fellow try-scoring front man Herman Ese’ese at Hull FC next season.
The 31-year-old will move to East Yorkshire from Leeds Rhinos after penning a two-year contract.
Lisone has spent the past three seasons with Leeds, establishing himself as an impact substitute.
He’ll hope to emulate former team-mate Ese’ese – also a New Zealand-born, former Samoa international – in becoming a fan favourite with Hull.
The pair played together at Gold Coast Titans for two seasons from 2021, as well as being part of the same Samoa squad at the 2017 World Cup.
Now they are having a big influence in the northern hemisphere, with Lisone scoring seven tries this season in all competitions and Ese’ese crossing nine times.
Lisone said: “I’ve spoken to Herman quite a bit about the move and (Hull coach) John Cartwright told me how much he wanted me to come to the club over the phone.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming over to Hull to play. The FC fans are always making loads of noise and I can’t wait for that.
“For me, I’m just focused on playing my best footy for the rest of the year for Leeds. Hopefully I’ll be able to carry on my form for Hull FC next year.”
The club’s director of rugby, Gareth Ellis, added: “We are absolutely delighted to add Sam to our ranks for 2026.
“He is our first addition for next season, and a key piece of recruitment for the club for the next two seasons.
“Sam will not only bring great size, power and skill to our ranks – he’s also a brilliant character and exactly the sort of individual we’re keen to add to our ranks.
“He will undoubtedly become one of our leadership figures, and lead from the front with his actions both on and off the field.
“I know he is excited for a new challenge, and will relish the chance to play in front of the Faithful, who I’m sure will quickly take him to their heart.”
Leeds were keen to retain Lisone but their sporting director, Ian Blease, explained: “He has been able to secure a long-term deal on terms that we were unable to match within our salary cap constraints.
“We are committed to building our squad and rewarding success. Unfortunately, that means in a salary cap sport that you cannot keep everyone all the time.”