Betfred Super League 2025: Hull out to bury bad memories of 2024

There can be no sugar-coating Hull FC’s 2024 season. It was nothing short of a disaster, with the Airlie Birds only staving off relegation to the Betfred Championship on points difference ahead of London Broncos. So it’s fair to say a new-look side has a lot to prove ahead of the new Betfred Super League campaign.

Hull have turned to former Gold Coast Titans coach John Cartwright after sacking Tony Smith midway through last season, and there has been a massive overhaul of the squad after a record 45 players turned out in the black and white in 2024.

And the star name among the new faces is former New Zealand international utility back Jordan Rapana, who says the opportunity to play in the Betfred Super League has been a long time coming.

“I always wanted to come over to test myself in the Super League, but it was just knowing when the right time was,” the 35-year-old tells Betfred. “My contract came to an end at Canberra, and I got an opportunity to come, and I thought ‘Why not?’

“We’ve got a lot of up-and-coming young guns coming through the ranks, but I feel Carty’s recruited well with a lot of experience. And hopefully that’s the right remedy, you get a good mix of experience and young boys together, and hopefully that can filter out throughout the squad and we can get the results.”

Controversial former England star Zak Hardaker is another to head over to west Hull with the aim of helping to turn around the fortunes of the 2006 Grand Finalists, and he explains how there is a big job to be done off the field as well as on it.

“The last couple of years has not been good enough as a playing squad and as a club really, and that’s the emphasis we’ve put on not just the training pitch but outside it with a lot of promotions and trying to get the fans back engaged with the club. I’ve heard that has fallen off in the last couple of years,” Hardaker says.

“I think there’s a much bigger project going on than just what’s going to happen on the rugby league field, but the fundamentals of rugby league are on the pitch. So we’re going to try to do our bit and get those performances right and get some wins hopefully, and then hopefully we can build Hull FC back to where it should be.”

Rugby League Odds

Herman Ese’ese was one of FC’s few consistent players in 2024, appearing 24 times in a team of few regular starters. And the prop forward says there’s a need for retaining a high standard whatever the turmoil going on away from the pitch.

“I’m pretty happy with how I’ve been going. I just wanted to be consistent week-in, week-out,” he adds. “There was obviously a lot going on behind the scenes, and us not playing that well, I just tried to keep to my standards; the standards I know I can play to.”

And he insists that there’s one reason in particular to feel motivated to get things right whenever he and his side step out at the MKM Stadium.

“Hull FC’s got a lot of rich history, and the fans as well. I believe it’s the best fanbase in the competition, they’re really passionate and it’s really nice to see. You just want to go out there and play your best footy for people who spend their hard-earned money coming to watch games. Hopefully we can put smiles back on their faces.”

Having won just three games in the whole of 2024, Hull could get victory number one of the new term on the board this Saturday (8th) when they face York Acorn at the Millennium Stadium in Featherstone in a Betfred Challenge Cup third-round tie.

The Black and Whites then head to the south of France for their Betfred Super League opener, taking on Steve McNamara’s Catalans Dragons at the Stade Gilbert Brutus on Friday, February 14.

It says much about the long-term project feel about FC that they are 66/1 to win a first Grand Final in 2025, with Betfred offering 5/2 for them to finish in the top six.

Ese’ese is the favourite among Hull players to get Steve Prescott Man of Steel recognition, with the Auckland-born star an 18/1 shot to collect the award. Rapana, meanwhile, is alongside teammate Tom Briscoe as a 25/1 option to be the league’s top tryscorer.

You can read all our latest Rugby League Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights Rugby League content hub.