Super Seven handed a chance to make grade
HODGSON CALLS UP CREAM OF FC ACADEMY
Hull FC head coach Brett Hodgson has invited seven of the club’s most talented youngsters into the first-team fold this pre-season. The pandemic has ensured game time will be hard to come by for the club’s academy players this year, but Hodgson has shown a willingness to work with FC’S young talent over pre-season and beyond.
Of course, it’s unclear at this stage whether these players will go on to become fixtures in the first-team environment, but one thing is for certain, they’ll all be looking to put their best foot forward over the coming weeks and months.
Here, the Mail profiles the academy players currently training with Hodgson’s first team.
Will Wallis Age: 18; Position: Second-row
The Black and Whites had to wait to tie the former West Hull junior down to an academy contract after he initially turned down the offer in order to concentrate on his studies at Wyke College.
Unfortunately, Wallis has found the opportunity of game time hard to come by over the last year. However, he did make a couple of appearances for the reserves before the competition came to a halt.
The back-rower played men’s rugby for Beverley before signing terms with the Hull and he’ll be hoping to take plenty from his time training with the first team over the coming months with pointers to take from the likes of Manu Ma’u and Andre Savelio.
Marcus Walker Age: 18; Position: Half-back
Pocklington-born Walker has been playing rugby league since the age of four having started out with Beverley Braves and working his way up the levels to the FC academy.
His kicking game is one of his strongest attributes and he bases his game on the likes of Marc Sneyd and St Helens’ Theo Fages.
It’s been a frustrating couple of seasons for Walker, with injury disrupting his 2019 season before the global pandemic put paid to his hopes of playing regularly in 2020 but he’ll hope to kick on this year and hone his skills.
Harvey Barron Age: 17; Position: Winger
Barron was actually on the books at Scunthorpe United before he came to Hull FC’S attention while playing for Beverley Braves.
Speaking in 2019, academy head Danny Wilson described the winger as one of the most athletic players in his ranks, with speed and strength being his major strong points.
He’ll have spent the last year watching the game closely, particularly those wide men who regularly use pace to their advantage and now he’ll be looking to the club’s senior outside backs for guidance.
Kai Tyson Age: 19; Position: Looseforward
One of several players in the FC academy to have represented England at youth level, Tyson is a powerful middle who had high hopes of featuring regularly for the reserves last season.
He’ll be robbed of that avenue again this year and with opportunities set to be limited the former Skirlaugh Bulls man will look to make the most of his time in the first team.
Speaking to the Mail last year, Tyson named Gareth Ellis as one of his idols and he’ll hope to learn plenty from him in the coming weeks.
Jacob Hookem Age: 18; Position: Half-back
Training in the first-team environment is nothing new to Hookem. The youngster is highly thought of and after being welcomed into the fold regularly under Lee Radford he made preseason appearances for the Black and Whites against Halifax and London Broncos last year.
The England academy international played for Skirlaugh as a junior before joining the Black and
Whites and he is capable of playing hooker, too.
He’s another who would have almost certainly been a regular at reserve level last year if not for the pandemic.
Joel Speed Age: 17; Position: Outsideback/full-back
Speed completed the move to Hull FC in August 2019 from Hull KR as part of the deal that saw Jez Litten leave the KCOM Stadium to join the Robins. His 2019 campaign was blighted by an ACL tear meaning he missed the start of last season, too. But, he’ll have learnt from it and he’ll be keen to kick on in the coming couple of years.
The England academy international is certainly still some way off being considered ready for a first-team debut, however, working with Brett Hodgson and the rest of the senior professionals in the Hull squad over pre-season will do him no harm at all.
Aidan Burrell Age: 17; Position: Prop
Burrell featured for the under-18s last year before the youth league was cancelled, but this season he finds himself training with the first team and he’ll certainly be relishing the opportunity.
The prop, who joined Hull from Cottingham Tigers still has a long way to go but he’ll be hoping to learn plenty from senior faces such as Scott Taylor and Josh Bowden over the coming weeks.