Hull FC’s vice captain has some lofty ambitions – and he’s backing his teammates to justify the hype.
05:00, 18 Feb 2026Updated 09:14, 18 Feb 2026
Hull FC celebrate Harvey Barron’s try against Bradford.
John Asiata has suggested that Hull FC can be one of the best teams in Super League this year – but they have to believe it.
The Black and Whites – up and running after an opening round victory over Bradford Bulls last weekend – are gearing up for a top six finish at least this year in what would be their first end of season finals appearance since 2020.
Aware of the importance of propelling the club back up to the upper enclaves of the Super League, Asiata, who has won silverware in both Australia’s NRL and the UK game during his career, has placed mentality as a key complement to make aspiration a reality – and is determined to do his bit along the way.
“We’re confident in the group that we have,” Asiata, speaking to Hull Live, said. “We want to be one of the best teams in the competition, but you have to have the mindset to be that team.
“For me, my role is to encourage the boys wherever that may be, whether it’s at training, or at home, or on the pitch. All of those little things go a long way to making sure that we are ready to play each and every week.
“The goal is always to be in the top six, but we’re going to aim for the top four, and we could even do better than that. We’ll see, but I think last year, we could have been in the top six or more, but then we had a lot of injuries and it was unpredictable.
“The game that we play is too physical to know exactly what’s going to happen each and every week, but this year, we’ve got some new people on the team who can help and play a big part in achieving what we want to achieve. We just need to make sure we are on top of everything.”
Adding the desired experience and leadership to the squad, four of Hull’s new recruits were in action against Bradford last week, with Harvie Hill, Joe Batchelor, and Arthur Romano starting the game and Sam Lisone having an impact off the bench, while the likes of James Bell and Jake Arthur are also expected to add plenty to the side when they return to action.
“They all come with different attributes,” Asiata continued. “Batch is a very good leader; he leads with his actions. He speaks a little bit but what he does at training, just being around the boys and encouraging those boys and the way he trains, it’s a great model for our young kids to take after.
“Then there’s young Harvie Hill, who has been in a great system at Wigan, and he’s really brought that over here. He’s going to be a talent; he’s still young and fresh, but the more games he plays, the better he’s going to get.
“Then I’ve got Belly there and Sam Lisone; those are guys I’m used to. They are characters off the field; they are the comedians on our team, and what they bring is a bit of energy, a bit of toughness, and a bit of mongrel.
“Jake Arthur – he will bring a kicking game to us and another dimension for our attack. It’s going to be a very exciting year to see all of those guys go at it, and it’s just going to make our competition here as a team a lot better to make sure we are kept on our toes and making sure everyone is doing their part.”
Asiata, who had hamstring surgery in the off-season, is currently working hard at training as he bids to reach full fitness before he returns to the field. However, the vice-captain, in his second season at the club, won’t rush himself back, nor will he be fazed by the pressure to perform when he does.
“I don’t feel pressure,” Asiata added. “I enjoy pressure and that part of the game. That’s what I love to do and it’s not an issue for me. I just need to be on the field, and that’s my main goal, to make sure I’m on the field as much as I can.
“I’ve been in the game for a while now and I understand the way that I play really well and I understand how my role in the team affects other players.
“It’s not the pressure; I love that stuff and I love the challenge. That’s why I play the game. This game surprises me every single year. Whether I was a junior or now as a senior player, I’m still learning. I’ve seen things over my career that I didn’t know then that I can use now, so for me it’s all about being me and who I am and playing the game I know I can play, and most importantly, making sure that I am on the field with the boys. That’s my biggest goal.”