Saturday’s game at Castleford Tigers may be a pre-season friendly, but for Hull FC’s Zak Hardaker, there’s quite a bit riding on it.

For the 33-year-old, it’s a chance for the Black and Whites to really get to grips with their combinations and connections in a proper game situation, and given that it’s their one and only trial game before competitive action starts in the Challenge Cup next weekend—their only runout so far coming in a scrimmage at York—it’s a big opportunity to put what they’ve been working on into practice and fine-tune the little details.

And while there will be some rustiness, blowing off cobwebs, and all the early season cliches, the benefits, including accumulating some game fitness, are so important, with Hardaker, one of nine new player signings at the club, keen to get cracking.

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"We went to York for a run out last Friday," he told Hull Live. "It was a weird one, and a little bit different from regular training. York got out of what they wanted to get out of it, and we got what we wanted to get out of it. But there was some stuff that we weren't happy with, which is probably good for us to look back on and say, 'This isn't good enough to start the season.'

"Castleford is a chance now for us to have a good dig. This is our only game before the season starts, so it's really important for us to get combinations right and correct some of the stuff that we need to work on. We need to put that into practice on Saturday - we can’t wait to play.

"We've trained pretty hard throughout the last 10 or so weeks, and it seems like a long time ago since the first day of training, but while it's still technically pre-season, it is a game. We've had a good week this week, and you can tell that everyone is excited for it and looking forward to it."

He continued: "It’s important. There's nothing quite like game day fitness. You can't get that until you play. You don't get that fitness until about week four or five, so it's about getting those combinations going and, when you're under fatigue, getting through it. We do bash each other about in pre-season but not as much as we will on Saturday. It's a first hit out for us, and we're really looking forward to getting those combinations together and getting the season going."

Set to play right centre, Hardaker is comfortable in his role. Winning silverware at Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers, Wigan Warriors, and Leigh Leopards, he knows what it’s all about, with the Pontefract native expecting Danny McGuire’s Castleford side to be a fired-up opponent.

"I know Magsy pretty well, and I know he won't be happy with what they put out there at Wakefield last week," Hardaker explained. "They put a full team out, and they'll be trying to rectify that, but we're really looking forward to our first hit out. It's friendly, but as soon as someone gets smashed or carries really hard, that friendly tag goes out of the window.

"If we lose, so be it, and if we win, so be it. It's just important for us to get that rustiness out of us and try and get our combinations going. If we do some things right, that will be brilliant, but if we do some things wrong, then we can get them right and fix them up for the start of the season."

Coming together for Joe Westerman, Hull and Castleford will celebrate the career of their mutual player on Saturday, with the match his official testimonial game. Hardaker, meanwhile, knows the forward well, growing up just a stone's throw away.

"He's had a great career, Westy, and he’s a good bloke as well," Hardaker added. "I know him quite well off the pitch, and Wattsy too—the Judd brothers. They're from Castleford, and I'm from Pontefract, so I've known them for 15-18 years now. They're great lads. They go really hard on the pitch. They're good blokes.

"Hopefully, it'll be a good turnout for Westy. Cas always turn out in numbers and so do Hull FC. It should be a great occasion. It’s what he deserves, but I'm looking forward to getting out there and giving him one or two if I can get hold of him.

"He's had a terrific career. One of his best years was probably last year, and he's one of the oldest there now. He's a leader on the pitch, and everything goes through him. Hopefully, he has a really good year."

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