A new look Hull FC side kick off their 2025 Super League season against Catalans Dragons in Perpignan this Friday night, with one of their new recruits, Zak Hardaker, ready to silence the doubters.

The 33-year-old is looking for another history repeat, with the sixth club of his professional career now aiming to prove the critics wrong just as Leigh Leopards did two years ago.

Joining the then newly promoted club to Super League, Hardaker was part of the Leythers’ Challenge Cup final victory over Hull KR before finishing in the play-offs with the club for the second successive season last year.

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And now he’s gearing up for a crack at life at Hull FC, with the Black and Whites looking to right the wrongs of a dismal 2024 campaign. Written off already, the underdog story suits Hardaker and his new employers just fine, with the former Leeds, Castleford and Wigan outside back looking, like Hull, to put past hardships behind them and get back to what they desire most: winning.

Speaking to Hull Live ahead of the new season, Hardaker said: "It’s funny. When I was at Leigh, everyone said that we would finish bottom and get relegated, but we finished fifth and won the Challenge Cup. The next year we had loads of injuries and loads of adversity, but we still came back strong, won loads of games, and finished fifth again. Now I’ve come to Hull, and people have said to me, ‘Why have you gone there? They will finish bottom.’

"It does give you motivation (when people write you off). I’ve been there and done it, and I’ve got the t-shirt. I don’t feel like I’ve got anything to prove anymore, but sometimes I just can’t help myself.

"I love competing, training, and winning, and I’ve got a massive opportunity at Hull to do that. That’s why I signed here; they’re a massive club and this is a chance to get them back up to where they should be. It’s exciting. Hull’s a club that’s having a huge rebuild, and I’m part of this journey. I can’t wait to get started."

Playing for over 350 games in a career that began at Featherstone, Hardaker is as decorated as they come. He has three Super League Grand Final rings, four Challenge Cup winners medals, and one World Club Challenge triumph to his name, while winning the 2015 Man of Steel as the best player in the competition.

But he’s also done it tough at times. There’s been off-field controversy and even a one-year suspension, but Hardaker, who has paid his dues, is now determined to do his bit and get Hull back up to where they deserve to be.

He continued: "There is a much bigger project going on at Hull than just what is happening on the rugby league field right now, but the fundamentals of rugby league are on the pitch. We’re going to do our bit by getting the performances right and getting some results to help build Hull FC back to where it should be.

"The last couple of years have not been good enough. We know that both as a playing group and as a club. We've put a big emphasis on training to get that right, but also on what we do outside of the training pitch and in the community.

"We’ve been doing a lot of promotions – we're trying to get the fans back engaged with the club. Richie (Myler) has been huge on that, but it has helped us connect as a team. We're a close group, and hopefully that will show on the field."

Those connections were easy to build up for Hardaker, who is joined at Hull by former Leyther teammates John Asiata, Tom Briscoe, Oliver Holmes, and Ed Chamberlain, with his acquaintances running through the team.

"There's the Leigh lads, but I also played with Amir Bourouh and Cade Cust at Wigan and Aidan Sezer at Leeds," Hardaker, who is set for a competitive Hull debut at Catalans Dragons on Friday night, added. "I’ve got experience of playing with all of them.

"And all of the other boys already here have been really welcoming – we get along really well. We’re trying to raise standards in training. We've been in for a long time now, and we're raring to go. We can't wait to get out there."