In an increasingly difficult market, where do we think our recruitment needs are for 2019?

I find it hard to believe we won't recruit a forward. I can see it being in the back row as opposed to prop, but we do need an impact player.

Can't see us being able to replace Kelly like for like, so presume Connor will step into that position. Unless Gaz Ellis gets his old team mate in from Salford

Can see it being the last year for Washy and Mini. If we don't retain Kelly, and we add in Watts' money, we must have a fair chunk of salary cap to play with.

I'm not sure connor or abdul will offer us enough to be pushing for trophies if kelly goes. As for the rest I'd see how talanoa goes but he's been getting injured and missing games the last couple of years so would seriously consider saying goodbye. Washbrook might be worth keeping if he'll accept a low salary but let go if not. Keep manu if we can and time for mini to retire IMO.

We've already signed the kid from london who won't have come cheap if most of SL were after him. I think we need another quality back rower, plus a winger and a half back if talanoa, mini and kelly leave.

I expect kelly will go but we'll probably re-sign talanoa for 12 months and I wouldn't be that suprised if we gave mini and washbrook another year too.

Who else is off contract?

The club have already said they don't want wholesale changes each year but if we have a mediocre season I think we need to be ruthless and let some players go to bring in some new blood and re-invent ourselves as we did in 2016.

2016 was a bit of a turning point in our fortunes, but it coincided with some stellar recruitment. Hard to see us being able to replicate that quality/hit rate.
I also think Abdul / Connor is not the answer to half back. Think Sneyd needs a bona fide half to take some pressure off him and let him play his game.
Think the London kid is more of a project, can't see him being ready from day one.

Ukuma Ta'ai would fit the bill if he's off contract.

I think if we look at our back row from a few years back when we had ellis and frank in there, along with mini who was two years younger, compared to now then we definitely need to strengthen. We had Thompson then too who I thought was a good hard runner.

Hadley has come back a better player but we don’t have the hard running that ellis and frank gave us.



Having Manu, Mini (two years older), Hadley, Washbrook and the young lads just doesn’t look the same quality.

NRL salary cap is now £3.1m per year more than ours.

Plus extras - eg every player with 8 years service adds another £100k.

I've updated the squad in the sticky as below, probably loads of errors in it - OOCs in red.

Personally I'd try everything to keep Talanoa, Kelly and Sika, and would let Mini decide whether he think his body is up to going round again at 37. I'd also prioritise Lane amongst the younger OOC players, and would go for early extensions for Griffin, Sneyd, Taylor, Hadley and Litten. Jury's out for me on Abdull in our structure. In reality though we are likely to lose Kelly, Sika and Mini so along with Watts, Ellis and Fonua that's a massive chunk of quality gone since our Wembley win last season. Hope the club are actively on with either tying down extensions or getting new players on board in what's a very difficult market.

Hull FC Squad 2018 - 29 - ages in brackets
1. Jamie Shaul 2020 (25)
2. Bureta Faraimo 2019 (27)
3. Carlos Tuimavave 2020 (26)
4. Josh Griffin 2019 (27)
5. Fetuli Talanoa 2018 (30)
6. Albert Kelly 2018 (27)
7. Marc Sneyd 2019 (27)
8. Scott Taylor 2019 (27)
9. Danny Houghton 2020 (29)
11. Dean Hadley 2019 (25)
12. Mark Minichiello 2018 (36)
13. Josh Bowden 2019 (26)
14. Jake Connor 2020 (23)
15. Chris Green 2019 (28)
16. Jordan Abdull 2018 (22)
17. Danny Washbrook 2018 (32)
20. Brad Fash 2021 (22)
21. Sika Manu 2018 (31)
22. Jez Litten 2019 (20)
23. Mickey Paea 2019 (32)
24. Jack Logan 2019 (22)
25. Jansin Turgut 2018 (22) (option of extension)
26. Jordan Lane 2018 (19)
27. Jack Downs 2018 (22)
28. Hakim Miloudi 2019 (24)
29. Masimbaashe Matongo 2021 (21)
30. Cameron Scott 20?? (18)
31. Ross Osborne 2018 (20)
32. Jack Sanderson 2019 (20?)


Outs 2018
Nick Rawsthorne (Toronto Wolfpack)
Liam Watts (Castleford Tigers)

Ins 2018
Lewis Bienek (London Broncos)

Homegrown (16)
Jamie Shaul
Danny Houghton
Dean Hadley
Josh Bowden
Chris Green
Danny Washbrook
Jordan Abdull
Jansin Turgut
Brad Fash
Jordan Lane
Masimbaashe Matongo
Jack Downs
Jack Logan
Jez Litten
Jack Sanderson
Ross Osborne


Fed Trained (6)
Josh Griffin
Marc Sneyd
Scott Taylor
Jake Connor
Cameron Scott
Hakim Miloudi

Non Fed (7)
Bureta Faraimo
Carlos Tuimavave
Fetuli Talanoa
Albert Kelly
Mark Minichiello
Sika Manu
Mickey Paea

2019 will be difficult in my opinion as we are set to lose what is currently our only attacking weapon in Albert Kelly.Abdull is certainly not a replacement at 6 and We have seen that a Sneyd/Connor combination at half back doesnt work.
So for me a running 6 will be a priority and a second row to replace Mini/Manu.
Talanoa is worth another year but Mini should call it a day after this season.Washbrook i would release but the club may see him worth another year for his experience and versatility.
I would also release Turgut or send him out on full season loan as he seems to be going backwards and will probably end up a championship level player.
Even before our mini injury crisis we have had no bench impact whatsoever and this has to change.The arrival of the new young prop next season may help as i see him coming off the bench for impact like he now does for London but we desperately need someone like Ikahihfo to give us some go forward and cause defences some problems.
I also think our style of play has to change as its stagnating and too pedictable.All the teams likely to finish above us and ill include Wakefield operate with a fluent attacking style with speed which we cannot cope with.
My guess is the club will try and recruit a replacement for Watts for this season but all signs are 2018 will be a disappointment for club and fans and 2019 will be difficult to recruit any real quality.

Kelly is not our only attacking weapon IMO. Talanoa is top try scorer in SL. Carlos and Griffin and good attacking centres and Shaul a class support player. Sneyd has a handy kicking game that can turn big matches. As mentioned on another thread, Kelly's missed a few this year and we've scored quite a lot of tries. I agree on the forwards - impact is needed.

the biggest miss is Motu Tony, Ellis, great player, done nothing in recruitment, so far...