Jordan Abdull knows he has his doubters but he’s determined to silence them by hitting the ground running at Hull FC. The half-back has re-joined the Black and Whites on a three-year deal six years after initially leaving the club to join London Broncos in November 2018.
Since then, Abdull has established himself as a Super League regular, winning plaudits with his form in the capital before making the switch to Hull KR ahead of the 2020 campaign. There, the Hull-born playmaker kicked on again and after being shortlisted for the Man of Steel award in 2021, he earned an England cap as he featured against France in October 2021.
Injuries probably got the best of him in 2022 and 2023 with his game time being limited as a result, but Abdull has every right to say he played a key role in helping build a platform for the Robins to kick on and do what they did in 2024, reaching the Grand Final having finished second in the Super League. Abdull watched on from afar as KR were beaten by Wigan Warriors having just come to the end of a season-long loan at Catalans Dragons, where he made 16 appearances and struggled to showcase his best form on a consistent basis.
However, he returns to Hull FC a wiser and more experienced man to the one that left the club all those years ago and he still believes he can take his game to the next level.
“I definitely don’t think my best years are gone, I think I’m coming up to them,” Abdull told Serious About RL. “My aim was always to have a full pre-season, I didn’t have that last year, it was very much a broken pre-season and had my off-season in a cast.
“I didn’t get the preparation for the season I needed. I definitely think I’ve got a lot more to give and a lot more in me as a player so, I just need to have a good pre-season, knuckle down and make sure I’m in the best position possible to have a good year and prove a couple of the naysayers wrong, I know there’s a fair few out there given my injury history.
“The easiest way to have a good, consistent season is to have a good, consistent pre-season. I’ve definitely not taken the off-season lightly, I’m not taking pre-season lightly either, I want to strive to be better.”
Of course, given the experience Abdull has amassed over the years, he can be expected to be play a leadership role under John Cartwright as he steps back into a squad that is packed with young and promising talent. That’s something the 28-year-old is relishing.
“I was thinking about that before I came back in,” Abdull said when asked about the leadership position he can be expected to take on this autumn at Hull FC. “For the large part at every team I’ve been at I’ve just been just another player.
“Now it’s such a young squad and I’ll be 29 at the start of next season, it’s a completely different role to what I’m used to but one that can bring the best out in me to be honest. I’ve experienced France, I’ve lived in London. I know what it’s like to be moved around and be in different set ups and I’ve picked up a lot of knowledge from different coaches and players.
“One thing for me is, I’ve been solely focused on my own career and wanting to be best I can and as consistent as I can, but we’ve got a young squad and a lot of half-backs with a lot of potential where I feel like I could add a little bit to their game and they seem keen to tap into my experiences and knowledge. It’s probably a little bit different to what I’m used to, I’m not just here to play, I’m here to try and give as much as I can to other people.”
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