Davy Litten on the steps Hull FC need to make next season.
Hull FC’s Davy Litten celebrates a try with Will Pryce and Lewis Martin.(Image: SW PIX)
Hull FC took some strides forward in 2025 – and they know what’s needed to improve further in 2026. For the Black and Whites, who restored some pride in the club after a woeful 2024 season, it’s all about consistency and putting results together more regularly.
For Davy Litten, one of the side’s shining lights in the centre role, that will help Hull get what they desire: a play-off finish. Targeting the top six at least, making the finals is natural progression after this year, and for the 22-year-old, there’s no secret on how to get there.
“I would say consistency and making our home ground a fortress and a tough place to come to,” Litten told Hull Live. “I feel like we didn’t do that enough last season.
“Our away form was great; that can stay the same, but our home form needs to improve and the consistency against all teams needs to improve, too. We need to turn up with the right attitude and go into the game and not think it’s guaranteed we’ll win.
“With the results that we had, we beat the harder teams, and then with the teams below us, we struggled. We need to turn up to every game and turn up for the full eighty minutes. It’s all improvement, but we’ll get there.”
Targeting improvement, there is also some satisfaction in Hull. They know the 2025 season was polar opposite of the one before it, but in missing out on the top six, it also keeps the fire burning and the desire strong to go one better next term.
“The seasons are definitely worlds apart,” Litten continued. “But in saying that, at the end of the season we weren’t happy with where we came; we wanted to be in that top six and we felt like we deserved to be in that top six as well.
“There’s a lot of fuel burning in our bodies and that will big us up for this season. But last season was still a great season for the club and the playing group that we had.
“That playing group will never play together again and I feel disappointed that we didn’t get the job done to get into that top six, but again, there’s fire in the belly now and I’m ready to go again for this season now. We’ve got a long three months of pre-season to go first, though, and we’ll work as hard as we possibly can to get ready for it.”
Hull will enter pre-season with what Litten believes is a trump card: their head coach, John Cartwright. The Black and Whites boss enjoyed a stellar first year in charge and in the Hull-born back’s eyes, he is the best in the league alongside his assistants Simon Grix and Andy Last.
“John is the best coach in Super League, in my opinion,” Litten said. “He knows exactly what we need to improve on and I’m sure throughout pre-season, he, along with Lasty and Grixy, will be drilling it into us.
“They all bring something different as well. Carty has been in the game for years and years and he’s got an abundance of knowledge. He just cares for us as well. He’s a great bloke and the way that he talks, he picks the right time for everything. It’s down to his experience; he knows what he’s doing.
“Grixy then does our attack; he’s been great with me and we really get along. He knows how to get me involved in the games and then there’s Lasty, who is so passionate. He’s one of the best assistants in the league; he’s in the England setup for a reason, and he’s always on us edges, and he always expects the best from me.
“That’s exactly what I need and he keeps me on my toes. All three of those guys combined; they complement each other. I seriously don’t think we could get a better three in the league. They’re all great and I’m sure they will get us ready to kick on again next year.”