James Bell is getting into his groove at Hull FC.
05:00, 26 Mar 2026Updated 10:47, 26 Mar 2026
Hull FC forward James Bell.
Good things come to those who wait. That’s certainly the case for Hull FC forward James Bell.
The new Kiwi recruit had his sights set on making an immediate impact at his new club, but sometimes things don’t go the way you plan in rugby league.
Now making up for lost time after a pre-season setback with a knee injury, Bell has put those frustrations behind him. Getting better by the week, the 31-year-old, three games into his FC career, is beginning to find his groove, but by his own account, we haven’t seen nothing yet.
“I’m building my match fitness and I’m feeling really confident,” Bell, into his first season of a three-year deal, said. “But the team hasn’t seen the best of me yet.
“I think there’s definitely more to come. It’s just a matter of getting the reps in with the boys and getting used to them and them getting used to me as well.
“I pride myself on bringing some energy to the team, whether that’s in attack or defence, and I think that’s just going to come with a few more minutes under my belt. I’m slowly building on that and getting the confidence back from injury every game and every week.
“I just love rugby league. If I weren’t playing Super League, I’d be playing local footy for free. I feel very lucky, and no matter where you put me on the field, I’ll do my absolute best. I’m just very grateful to put on a jumper, and I feel really lucky to do that for this club.”
Back in his element, Bell is reunited with his Kiwi brothers and produced his best performance yet in what was a pressure-relieving win over Leeds Rhinos last weekend. He’s now ready to do it all again, with Catalans Dragons standing in between Hull and back-to-back Super League wins this Sunday afternoon.
“There are some guys here that I am really close with – Sam Lisone, Ligi Sao, Herman Ese’ese – and then John Asiata; he played a big role in getting me over,” the forward continued. “This is a place where I can be happy and play alongside some people that I care about.
“It’s just good to be reunited with the boys. I’m excited to get more and more game time with them and more training sessions.
“We’re getting there, and we’re all putting in a shift for each other. We just need to stay together and just trust each other and stay connected. I think we’re doing that really well.
“The boys are turning up with a great attitude and smiles on their faces. They’re putting in a shift every week. We’re really trying hard for each other and hopefully there’s more to come in the next few weeks.”
Swapping St Helens for East Yorkshire, Bell is in a good spot off the field, settling into a way of life that suits him and his family, with his boys already down at local community club Beverley Braves.
“It’s been a nice change,” Bell added. “We’re enjoying it so far and we’re fitting in pretty well in the little community that we’re living in. We’re in Brandesburton. I think there are not even 100 kids at my boy’s school, so that probably explains how small it is, but it suits the lifestyle that my family and I love.
“We like the peace and quiet and we’re quite rural, so the boys love it. They’re all rugby mad too, but in saying that, we’ve got a newborn, so I haven’t had much sleep over the last couple of weeks, but he’s doing really well.
“I love it (being a dad). It’s the best job in the world. We all love it here and we enjoy the experience and everything that England has to offer. Being from New Zealand, you probably couldn’t get any further away from home, but without rugby league, we would never have this opportunity, so we definitely appreciate what we have and we don’t take it for granted.”