Out-of-contract Hull FC forward opens up on future with club to ‘replace star players’

The 2023 Super League season is into it’s final third which means 2024 is just around the corner and off-contract players become the major talking point. We’ve already seen some premium young talent such as Sam Walters sign with Wigan Warriors for 2024 with the big forward set to leave Leeds Rhinos.

Other examples include another former Rhino headed to Wigan with Kruise Leeming joining Matt Peet’s men for 2024.

One team that it had been widely reported had a huge number of players off contract was Hull FC, with some reports suggesting up to 20 players were not contracted for the 2024 season.

The Black and Whites have paid for that with some key players having already signed elsewhere for 2024 with Chris Satae being a prime example as the prop heads to Perpignan to sign for Catalans Dragons.

Another star player who is heading for the exit is playmaker Jake Clifford who will leave at the end of the season, despite having only signed at the beginning of this current season.

There was wide speculation that Clifford would head home with former club North Queensland Cowboys interested and Tony Smith confirmed that to the Yorkshire Evening Post, citing Clifford’s year-long sting as “well worth it”.

One man who would love another year at Hull FC is Scott Taylor with the veteran forward heading off contract, but intent on staying at his beloved Hull FC.

Asked if he had played in his last derby, Taylor told BBC Humberside: “I don’t know. It’s a good question but I don’t know.

“As the season comes towards the end me and Danny are getting a lot of questions fired to us about next year, but me personally, obviously I can’t speak for Danny, but for me I’m just taking it week by week.

“I’m not making any rash decisions and obviously Tony and me are communicating and I don’t know if it was my last derby, but if it was then to win at Craven Park then it’s a good one to finish on.

“I absolutely love playing in the derbies though, they mean so much to me and I’ve been lucky enough to finish on the winning side a lot more than I’ve lost. They’re special games when you play in them.”

He also explained that he was well aware of the situation that FC found themselves in regarding a large number of off-contract stars and took a leader’s attitude to the situation.

The thing for the club as well is that there’s no hiding behind the fact there’s quite a few players leaving, so it’s really important for the club to use these next few weeks to make sure they’re building a real good squad for next year.

“It’s about replacing some of the top players next year who we know are leaving and obviously I’m not going to be selfish and want myself sorted out. I’m going to make sure the club comes first and can replace some of these top quality players who are leaving,”

Taylor has played for FC since 2016, having initially started out on the other side of the city with Hull KR, but he made it clear where his heart lies.

“Well it’s a two way thing. It’s Scott Taylor and it’s Hull FC’s decision, as it stands right now there’s nothing that’s been decided.

“We’re being fully honest with each other, there’s no rush. We know how much the club means to me so I can’t see myself playing anywhere else and I want to finish my career at Hull FC as well.”

His comments regarding taking a back seat in contract talks to allow the club to “replace top players” does beg the question as to who Tony Smith is set to recruit for 2024, and whether Taylor will play alongside them is still unclear.