NEW Hull FC coach Steve McNamara will begin training next Monday, November 2, with a mandate from the club to get it back into play-off contention.
Last time the Airlie Birds made the play-offs was in the Covid-impacted season of 2020, when the Grand Final was actually played at their MKM Stadium venue, with St Helens defeating Wigan and no spectators allowed in the ground.
Earlier that season the club had sacked its coach Lee Radford and, in a move that was repeated in 2026 when John Cartwright was sacked, Andy Last took over on an interim basis.
Since then the club has had six seasons in which it has failed to finish in the top six.
Last will continue with the club as McNamara’s assistant in 2027, with former Goole Vikings head coach Scott Taylor also recruited as an assistant for McNamara.
And McNamara will be taking on a squad that will look quite different to the squad that finished in eleventh place in 2026, having fallen four places from their seventh-place finish a year earlier, with a significant number of arrivals and departures, while some players’ futures are still uncertain.
Jake Arthur (Huddersfield Giants), Amir Bourouh (Catalans Dragons), Tom Briscoe (retired), Roman Dawson, Brad Fash, Zak Hardaker (York Knights), Ben Johnson (Hunslet), Davy Litten (Wakefield), Arthur Romano (Catalans Dragons), Hugo Salabio (Leeds Rhinos), Ligi Sao and Jed Cartwright have all departed.
Former captain Aidan Sezer, who is contracted for the 2027 season, has been linked with a potential move to York Knights or Bradford Bulls and Hull are thought to want to agree an exit before training begins next week.
On the other hand Cade Cust and Herman Ese’ese, both of whom have been linked with moves away from Hull, look likely to be staying put, while Ed Chamberlain has returned from a loan spell at Bradford.
McNamara will be relieved to be able to welcome back injury victims John Asiata and Will Pryce to pre-season training. Asiata (hamstring) is expected to be fit for the start of training with Pryce (ACL) requiring a more gradual return to physical contact.
Younger players Will Kirby and Joe Ward also suffered ACL injuries, while Callum Kemp had a shoulder reconstruction last month and middle forward Yusuf Aydin is recovering from a knee injury that ended his 2026 season.
The major uncertainty for the club is the future of prop forward Sam Lisone, who suspended in September for internal disciplinary reasons, with no decision yet announced on his future.
Hull’s new recruits include Daly Cherry-Evans (Sydney Roosters), Isaac Liu (Leigh Leopards), Junior Pauga (Sydney Roosters), Jordan Swann (Wynnum-Manly Seagulls), Bailey Hodgson (Leigh Leopards), Alrix Da Costa (Catalans Dragons) and Joshua Coric (Brisbane Broncos).
They have also been strongly linked with Warrington forward Max Wood, who played five games on loan for Hull in 2026, but no deal has yet been confirmed.
