The 2026 Super League season promises to be a big one for Hull FC and head coach John Cartwright. The Australian did a superb job in 2025 as he led a rebuild that saw Hull take huge strides forward and compete for spot in the play-offs.
Ultimately, the Black and Whites just missed out, with a defeat to Catalans Dragons on the final weekend crushing their dreams of making the six. But, after the agony of picking up just three wins all year in 2024, just being in the conversation was more than enough for Hull fans.
Expectations are different as they prepare for next season, though, with supporters and everyone associated with the west Hull outfit setting their sights on a spot in the play-offs at the very least.
An army of new recruits only hammers home that fresh objective and FC will rightly be feeling confident about their ability to take the next step.
Most of their new signings have come in the pack, with Cartwright approaching the season with one of the strongest middle units Super League has to offer. But, it’s fair to say the most important signing Hull made came in the halves with Jake Arthur making the move over from Newcastle Knights.
He’s expected to partner Aidan Sezer in the pivots and play a key role in what can still be considered a new look spine.
With that in mind, we take a look at Hull’s spine options heading into 2026.
Hull FC 2026 spine options assessed
Full-back: Will Pryce, Zak Hardaker, Logan Moy, Lloyd Kemp
Pryce will wear the number one shirt in 2026 and he’ll be keen to stay fit and build up some consistency in a black and white shirt after making the move back from the NRL earlier this year. He did manage to show glimpses of his immense talent last season for Hull with performances against Leigh Leopards and Catalans Dragons being stand outs, but injuries prevented him from hitting top form for Hull.
He’ll hope that after having a full pre-season in East Yorkshire that he’ll be able to find traction and play a key role for the club through 2026.
In terms of depth, Hull FC have Zak Hardaker, who is expected to start the year at centre, but showed last season that he can still impress in the number one role. Logan Moy is still highly rated but at this stage of his career, the youngster needs more game time than he got last season for Hull and over the coming months, he’ll be doing all he can to give Cartwright some food for thought.
Lloyd Kemp is another promising talent to keep an eye on and he’ll be pushing for more minutes this season, too.
Halves: Aidan Sezer, Jake Arthur, Cade Cust, Callum Kemp
Sezer silenced any doubters with his performances last season, hitting top form, leading his side around the field and picking up a series of man of the match awards. He stayed fit, wore the captaincy extremely well and without him, it’s fair to say Hull might not have finished quite so highly last season.
The challenge for him is to maintain and build on those high standards, while developing a new partnership with Arthur. The son of Leeds Rhinos head coach Brad, Arthur arrives in England with a point to prove after struggling for traction in the NRL.
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He has aspirations to return down under at some point in his career, but he knows he has to earn that shot by performing well with Hull. The pressure is on him to perform then and how he handles that will ultimately be his biggest test in 2026.
Cade Cust is ready and waiting for the chance to play in the halves and like Sezer, he more than impressed last season. Should Arthur struggle to settle, Cust will be banging on the door to play at stand-off.
Beyond the three senior men, Callum Kemp appears to be the next in the pecking order. The youngster stepped into the side with confidence and swagger at times last season and Cartwright knows he can trust him to do a job when required.
Hooker: Amir Bourouh, Cade Cust, Will Hutchinson
This is probably one area where Hull FCÂ might feel as though they could improve going forward. Amir Bourouh did a fine job in the role last season but he played too many minutes due a lack of a suitable alternative and his level of performance fluctuated as a result.
In terms of his heart, determination and defensive mindset, Bourouh was excellent, but as games wore on his distribution wavered. That’s where Cust comes in for 2026.
With Arthur set to play in the halves, it seems Cust will be used to spell the hooker this season with the Australian coming off the bench to provide a running threat and an injection of pace. And, Will Hutchinson is coming through the ranks as an option should he be needed.
