Drastic changes are on the way at the MKM Stadium as Hull FC bid to improve on what has been a woeful campaign so far. The Black and Whites beat Wigan Warriors on Saturday in a performance that required tenacity, grit and desire and there can be no arguing that the side from East Yorkshire deserved to pick up the points.
However, that was just FC’s third win of the campaign, with frustration and disappointment mounting on an almost weekly basis. Saturday’s result was not only a win for Simon Grix, who has done a fine job since picking up the FC reins, it was one for the youngsters that Hull will be looking to build their team around in the coming years.
The club’s push to bring through homegrown talent is unlikely to change heading into next season, when John Cartwight will take charge, but the makeup of the senior group surrounding those young players could look very different. They’ve already been busy when it comes to recruitment for 2025 with six signings bringing strength in depth and experience and the yet to be announced Cade Cust follows suit.
There’s more deals to be done, though, and according to various reports, it would seem as though Lachlan Lam is in the frame. The Leigh Leopards man is contracted until next season and while he is said to have activated an exit clause, there is some dispute about its validity.
However, should he make the move to Hull as he is now expected to, it seems the knock on effect will be the exit of Jake Trueman. Rumours had been circulating before the link was given substance with Love Rugby League reporting that a move to Wakefield Trinity is being lined up.
Wakefield are primed and ready to make the leap back up to Super League for next season and according to the report, they’re making a push to add Trueman to their list of half-backs that already includes Mason Lino, Olly Russell and Myles Lawford. Former Hull man Luke Gale is also at Wakefield, but it remains to be seen if he will be kept on into next season.
It’s an ambitious move from the West Yorkshire outfit, but it’s also one that depends on them being in Super League next season, which despite their confidence is not a certainty.
Trueman’s time at Hull has been up and down to say the least. The 25-year-old was one of FC’s brightest on Saturday against Wigan, but injuries have no doubt taken a toll, with lengthy lay-offs preventing Trueman from being able to hit top form consistently.
Trueman arrived at Hull with a ruptured ACL ahead of the 2023 season and consequently missed the opening three months of the campaign. He missed the end of the season, too, with an Achilles injury ruling him out for the best part of eight months.
He made his comeback in May and has helped Grix to steady the ship somewhat in west Hull, with a couple of results coming along the way. With FCÂ seemingly looking to move into a bright new era with Lam, Cust and Jordan Abdull arriving at the club, Trueman’s future at Hull looks uncertain to say the very least despite having a year still to run on his deal.
It’s fair to say Trueman has been luckless in his career so far with his time in the game punctuated by long-term injuries that have hampered his progress. Consistency in many aspects will be the stand-off’s best friend moving forward in his career then, wherever he plies his trade.
