An overhaul has to come – and it will.
11:26, 31 Jul 2026Updated 15:15, 31 Jul 2026
New Hull FC coach Steve McNamara
Hull FC’s season hit a new low on Thursday night, with the Black and Whites now just two points off the bottom of the Super League table after defeat to Huddersfield Giants.
Going down 22-16 at Accu Stadium, Hull failed to build on two different leads during the course of the match and got what they deserved as the Giants hit back to cement back-to-back wins. Here, Hull Live looks at some talking points.
The wooden spoon is nearing
Two years ago, Hull avoided the wooden spoon to London Broncos on points difference. They won just three games all year in what was regarded as one of their worst ever seasons, perhaps the worst ever. But this year, with Hull now just two points above the Giants with six rounds remaining, hits arguably even harder; one, because the hierarchy promised the club would never be in this situation again, and two, it’s supposedly a much better side being churned out every week than the kids and fillers that finished 2024.
This year, coming so soon after a season that restored some pride last year, has been a complete and utter disaster; from a pre-season that was staggered due to surgeries and the fear of re-injuring, to not getting to grips with the sport’s quicker rucks, to results, to Will Pryce’s and John Asiata’s injuries, to John Cartwright’s sacking, to an interim coach in Andy Last that now looks like a broken man.
To lay the reality out, Hull have lost their last seven fixtures. They have won just two of their last 15 games going back to Good Friday. They sit two points off the bottom of the table. It’s criminal. It’s not good enough. It’s not acceptable.
Two in three seasons have now been two of Hull’s worst in the modern era, at least, and this one has come despite three promoted sides working on half the central funding. It’s embarrassing.
It has to be a massive kick in the face for the new regime, who are taking the responsibility for this mess. Given how far Hull have fallen over the last several years, it is far from all their fault, but the whole Cartwright situation, with the conclusion sadly inevitable, was embarrassing for the club, with a major squad overhaul set to take place for the second time in three years. That’s on them.
The players know it’s coming, and it shows in performance. Hull are a mess. They look disjointed in terms of skill, there’s a sloppiness to them, little urgency, and confidence is shot. They look like a beaten side and one they know is going to be ripped up.
Steve McNamara will join the club later this year, and he has a massive job ahead alongside CEO Richie Myler to turn the ship around, make cap space available with player releases, and sign the right players to make Hull capable of winning Super League matches again.
And that word ‘recruitment’ is key. Hull just have to get more signings right. Or the pressure will really be on.
Wield the axe
Myler said back in April the players have the biggest opportunity to show they are the right fit and mould to lead this club into the future. Well, results don’t lie. They’ve failed, and now the changes will come.
Hull have offered the likes of Aidan Sezer, Cade Cust, and Amir Bourouh to other Super League clubs; that is no secret, and they won’t be the only ones. There are still several out-of-contract players, too, and it’s expected that the majority will be released, opening the cap space Hull need to recruit.
It’s a domino effect, though, and Hull are waiting for the first pieces to unravel. Once one drops, the chain effect can start, but there’s no denying that some substantial movement is waiting to take place.
Hull just have to be on the same page now. There were clear differences in opinion between Myler and Cartwright on players brought in and not brought in for 2026. Myler and McNamara can’t afford to make those same mistakes. There can be no room for error. This is a recruitment drive now that they have to get right.
But what do Hull need?
In short, everything, but most pressingly, prop forwards. The most obvious thing watching the game at Huddersfield was how dominated they were in the ruck. They haemorrhaged metres at an alarming rate and allowed the likes of Zac Woolford to dictate the tempo. The starting middle forwards of Hugo Salabio and Harvie Hill were poor and while Yusuf Aydin and Max Wood tried to swing the game again, they were facing an uphill battle.
That’s been Hull’s problem since the start of the year. They lose the ruck and they get dominated on both sides of the carry, and then they lose the territory battle, they fatigue, they make errors, their discipline goes out the window, and they ultimately lose the game.
But it should come as no surprise. They weren’t ready for the quicker rucks this year, and they lost key personnel in Liam Knight before the season got going. They never replaced Knight, and it shows, and the loss of a fit and firing Herman Ese’ese as that destructive ball carrier has also been notable.
Hull need a couple of robust middle signings to dominate the middle area of the field; it’s imperative, and then they can focus elsewhere, and there are arguments that another spine player and centre are needed at the least.
But above all else, they need a proper pre-season, and they’ll get that. There’s no doubt that training standards will change under McNamara. It will be more thorough and more intense, and boy, do Hull need it.
A positive
Joe Batchelor. The back row forward has put together a solid run of games and performances now. His leadership and professionalism stand out like a sore thumb and show why he has so much respect in the game. He has been good value since coming back into the team after what was a difficult start to injury.
Hull need more signings like this. They have to get their recruitment right with robust signings and players who hold standards accountable. Batchelor does that, and Ethan O’Neill is starting to do that. The former St Helens man is, by all accounts, Hull’s best trainer, and that transpires to the pitch. Hull could do with a few more taking a leaf out of his book.