Shaul admits he dreams of ending Hull’s Wembley hoodoo

He was sat in the stands at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium the last time Hull FC lifted the Challenge Cup – but for Jamie Shaul, there has always been one thing he has dreamed of doing alongside emulating the club’s class of 2005 and getting his hands on the sport’s most prestigious trophy.

The 24-year-old is a born and bred FC fan, and is fully aware of the club’s supposed Wembley “hoodoo”. In fact, he’s sick of hearing about it – and sees this weekend as the opportune time to change all that.

“It would be enormous and something you grow up dreaming of doing, ending this so-called hoodoo,” he told TotalRL.

“I’m sick to death of hearing about it, I want to shut up a few of those fans from the other side of the city.

“It’d be huge for the club. To go down in history as being part of the first team to win at Wembley would be huge and we’d be remembered forever, wouldn’t we?”

Jamie-Shaul

Shaul has had one attempt to become part of history in the past – but he could be forgiven for not remembering too much about the 2013 final: which was only his fifth senior appearance as Hull lost 16-0 to  Wigan.

“I obviously played in 2013 and it was a bit of a blur to be honest,” he admits. “I’m trying to think back about how I felt and I’m looking forward to going back and savouring it this time.

“It might be spoken about what happened three years ago. It wasn’t the best day for us and we were very disappointed with how we played. We went into our shell but I can’t see that happening this year.”

And like Hull coach Lee Radford earlier in the week, Shaul is of the opinion that his Hull group, believed to be the best in years, is more than capable of bringing some silverware – and some history – back to FC in 2016.

“When I was involved in all those long days bricklaying I used to dream about Wembley, Hull and major finals but that’s all it ever was,” he says.

“To turn professional was a dream in itself, now I’m at Wembley again trying to make some history.

“I was just a kid in 2013, playing in only my fifth game or something like that so I’m a lot more mature now than I was then. I’ll be a lot wiser and a lot more ready for it now – we all will.”