Jordan Abdull explains Hull FC's massive advantage with early season method aired

Hull FC will enter the 2025 season with a completely brand-new spine. Recruiting extensively throughout the year, nine new players have been brought in ahead of pre-season, with two new half-backs set to lead the side alongside a new full-back, hooker, and loose-forward.

And unlike in recent years, the nucleus of that side is together now in training, with Aidan Sezer arriving in England ahead of last week and Jordan Rapana this week. They are joined by Jordan Abdull, who is into week four of training and already excited at the repetitions built up between his new partner in crime.

Amir Bourouh, too, has been in since day one, as has Cade Cust, with John Asiata set to link up with the squad after being given extra time off after playing internationally with Samoa. And for Abdull, there's no underplaying the importance of building those combinations and understandings as they start to blossom at the University of Hull training ground—with Hull the first Super League to get back training after their off-season break.

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Speaking to Hull Live, Abdull said: "There's an excitement, and with Custy as well, who is training really well at the moment, there are three quality halves fighting for two spots, but it's all about building combinations.

"It's probably a blessing in disguise that we've come back into pre-season so early; it's going to be a brand-new spine and very much a brand-new team, so it's just about getting as many reps on the field as you can and coinciding it with the hard work that comes with pre-season. We're building the combinations, and at the moment, it's started really well, but give us another six, seven weeks together, and leading into the trial matches, I'm sure we'll be even better and good to go."

Having that spine together now means more reps, with a greater chance to build understandings. For Abdull, it's crucial. He continued: "You play a team sport, and it's a really hard thing to do if you don't have your full team training. The longer that we can spend together at training, the better we can be when it comes to the weekend and gametime.

"It's the same with injuries; the more you can keep your best 17 on the field, the results normally go your way more than we don't. If you use last season as an example, Warrington, Hull KR, they stayed relatively fresh all season, and when you can keep that same side out, you can get the results that you need. Pre-season for us this year is all about us getting as fit as we can, but we need to have a bit of luck as well with injuries. I'm sure then we'll have more results going our way than against us."

Looking ahead to the early season, Hull will base their game on hard work, effort, spirit, and the like, but they know they need to be savvy with their skills as well. A big part of that skill will be Hull's kicking game, with a big responsibility falling on the half-backs to get the side around the field.

"We've got Aidan too, who is a very good kicker, but I think in games, especially the early rounds and then the back end of the season, most of the time games are won just on field position," Abdull added. "It's going to be raining, and you can almost win a game just by having the better territory and the better field position, which is paramount to having a good kicking game.

"That's something that I can bring, Aidan as well, and that'll be our gameplan for the first weeks, playing off a good kicking game and making sure that we are fit and we can stay in that set for set mentality. It is a pivotal thing for us."

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