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Tex Hoy makes Hull FC exit admission and identifies Castleford Tigers aim

Ex-Hull FC man Tex Hoy
Australian full-back Tex Hoy admits he wasn’t happy with the way he was treated at Hull FC, but says he’s feeling much better about life with Castleford Tigers.

Hoy joined Hull FC from Newcastle Knights ahead of the 2023 season, but was released midway through last year and joined Tigers for the second half of the Super League campaign.

With a full pre-season under his belt, he is now determined to put his Hull experience behind him and repay Tigers for rescuing his career at one of its lowest points.

Reflecting on his departure from FC, Hoy told Serious About Rugby League: “I don’t want to go too much into it.

“That’s in my past now. There were things I didn’t agree with personally, the treatment I got from Hull, but I’ll leave it at that.”

Having scored one try in seven games for Hull last term, he crossed for seven during 17 appearances with Tigers.

“It was the second time settling into a new club,” the 25-year-old said of the mid-season move.

“It was a bit of an up and down year, but I’m just thankful Cas gave me an opportunity. I felt like I played a couple of good games for Cas, but I’d like to be more consistent throughout the year and win more games.

“That’s all part of footy and learning your trade in the sport. Hopefully I’ll do that better this year.”

Tigers face a tough start to the season, at Bradford Bulls in the  Challenge Cup on Sunday, followed five days later by a Super League opener at 2024 runners-up Hull KR.

New coach Danny McGuire’s side lost both this year’s full-scale warm-up matches, to Wakefield Trinity and Hull FC, but Hoy insisted those results don’t reflect how well pre-season has gone.

“It has been good, it has been tough,” he said. “I’m not sure what it was like last year for them, but everyone’s saying it has been a lot tougher. The boys are looking fit and everyone’s itching to go and play games now.”

After finishing 10th in the 2024 table, Hoy identified “improvement on last year” as Tigers’ aim for the new season.

“We want to be playing play-offs and winning Grand Finals, but you’ve got to work hard for those,” he warned.

“If you are not building on last year, you’re not going to get anywhere near that. If we can get a few more wins than last year, not have any blowout scorers if we do lose and we compete and put the effort in every game, I think that’s going to be a pretty successful year.”

The bookies are predicting another season of struggle and Hoy reckons that means the pressure is off.

“Wigan have probably got more pressure on them, to win the comp again,” he noted. “I think you want to be a dark horse, nobody expects you to win, but when you do it feels better.

“I don’t go into games thinking we’re going to lose – I am there to win, that’s why I play rugby league. All that matters is what we do on the pitch.”

On a personal note, after being thrown in the deep end last year, Hoy feels more settled with a pre-season under his belt.

“I missed a bit of the start with a niggling injury, but it’s good to build some connections,” he reflected.

“I came in half way through last year and I didn’t know what the season was going to be built on and what the club wanted throughout that season.

“I was just trying to find a way to get into the team and do my part, but this year I’ve got a bit more of a voice, I can say some things and can teach as well, because I know the boys a bit better now.”

He also has a better idea of what to expect from life in England. He added: “I am probably used to the cold now – I’ve forgotten what hot feels like.

“It is hard to adjust, for me the hardest part was the daylight – the sun going down early and coming up late, then in summer it’s the complete opposite.

“It took a while to adjust to that, but I know what to expect now – I know when I open the blinds on a morning it is probably going to be a grey day, so I am pretty used to it and it’s all good.”

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