John Asiata on why he joined Hull FC, squad expectations and Hull KR rivalry

Hull FC signing John Asiata has spoken ahead of the upcoming season to explain why he joined the club and reveal the squad expectations.

Asiata was one of ten signings made by the Black and Whites, however, recent reports have suggested that one of the new signings Jordan Abdull has left the club already.

It is still a season of wholesale change at the MKM Stadium and for Asiata, it represents swapping a team that has made the play-offs in successive years for one who registered just three wins in 2024.

The ex-Leigh captain spoke with BBC Radio Humberside to reveal the reasons why he joined Hull FC, explaining that it was an opportunity to ‘make a difference’.

He explained: “The first thing was the opportunity of a new journey for myself and the second one was seeing the young players that were coming through and being able to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Asiata outlines Hull FC squad expectations

Hull FC were forced to hand debuts to plenty of youngsters in 2024 as their team chopped and changed plenty, however, blooding in so many young stars proved to be a key motivator in Asiata’s switch.

He explained: “I’ve been there as a junior and I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with some great players such as Jonathan Thurston who have helped me with my game and taught me along the way.

“For me, I would like to give back and there are a lot of youngsters here who are very very talented and I’m hoping that I can play a role in taking their careers to the next step.”

Asiata had previously named three such youngsters who he has been very impressed with whilst outlining his leadership role – which has since been confirmed to be the vice-captaincy behind Aidan Sezer.

The vice-captain was also asked about the Hull KR rivalry but it seems he shares as much excitement about the club’s own development in 2025 – insisting that the focus is on effort-based areas and building that identity.

“I’m very excited,” said when asked about the cross-city rivalry.

“I know how big the game is for both teams. It’s one of the games I’ve looked at to see when we’re playing because it’s one I want to be a part of.

“I’m excited to see how we turn up. I wouldn’t say there is pressure on us. The only thing we need to focus on is us, obviously, there are a lot of changes and some new players in the squad so it’s all about building relationships at this stage.

“The more games we play together, the more we bond and those relationships grow. All we want to do as a squad is to make our fans proud in how we turn up, how we play, effort-based areas are number one in what we want to be known for.