Hull FC’s 2025 mantra is centred around hard work and being competitive once again, but even after such a torrid season, you’d forgive those players who have been there and done that to be a bit more ambitious.

For Zak Hardaker, that’s certainly the case, but that’s the player he is: he’ll literally fight and compete for everything. That’s why he’s won everything in the game, and for the 33-year-old who joins the club alongside fellow cup winners Oliver Holmes, Ed Chamberlain, and John Asiata, he won’t be happy unless he’s winning rugby league matches.

That’s why he’s here, and while he understands the perception after an 11th place finish, there’s no shortage of confidence in his teammates, both new and old.

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"I’ve said it from day one; I’m here to win, and if we’re not winning, then I’m not going to be that happy, to be honest," a straight-up Hardaker said when asked about season targets. "The boys that we’ve brought in are all competitors. We want to win and wherever we’ve been, we’ve succeeded in some way.

"Whether that’s a trophy, League Leaders, or a play-off finish, whatever they may be, everyone we’ve brought in has been there and done it, so in my experience, we won’t be happy if we don’t get to some kind of play-off, and in the Challenge Cup anything can happen."

He continued: "I’m not going to sit here and say we’re going to win the league and the Challenge Cup, but I’d also be daft to say that that’s not something we want to set out as a goal.

"As a club, I’m not quite sure what we’re going to say. We’ll speak to John and the coaching staff and discuss targets that we want to achieve, but as a player sitting here today, I can honestly say that I go out there every week trying to win, and I won’t be happy if we don’t. If we can get that across the group and across the playing field, I don’t think we’ll go too far wrong."

Mixing youth with experience, Hardaker has been impressed with the talent in Hull’s squad this pre-season, with the centre picking out young Logan Moy, who continues to catch the eye.

"One minute he’s on one wing, and then the next minute he’s on the other," Hardaker added. "I really enjoyed watching him last year, but speaking to the boys who were here last year, they say he’s come on leaps and bounds since then, so just to hear that, it’s really exciting for someone like that to play next year."

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