Why Savelio deal is good business for FC
BRETT Hodgson will have been delighted to get Andre Savelio tied down for another two years.
He’s a player who has caught the eye on plenty of occasions and possesses the tools needed to give Hull FC’S pack an edge next season.
Savelio was one of the outstanding back-rowers in the competition during the first few months and attracted interest from a number of clubs before agreeing to extend his time at the MKM Stadium.
However, the head coach issued a challenge to the 26-year-old in the hope he can find some consistency and return to his best after a difficult second half of the campaign.
The back-rower wasn’t the only player to struggle for confidence during the club’s testing finish, in which they won just one of their last 10 games.
But his dip in form was notable and after penning a new two-year deal, Savelio will be looking to recapture the belief and swagger that made him such a threat earlier in the year.
The New Zealand-born forward’s story at Hull has been one of progression and moving forward in the face of adversity after arriving at the back end of his recovery from a lengthy injury lay-off.
He struggled for fitness during his first season at FC and while he impressed when on the field, he could only make seven appearances due to injury.
It took until September 2020 to really nail down a spot in the side, with injury and, of course, Covid standing in his way.
The back-rower shone under Andy Last despite struggling to train at times, but after working on his knee over the off-season, he carried that form into the new campaign.
He attracted a huge amount of plaudits for his performances and several journalists took the opportunity to ask about his international hopes.
A Combined Nations All Stars call-up came in June, as Tim Sheens gave him the opportunity to test himself against England.
However, Hull’s season took a turn for the worse and after four weeks on the sidelines due to the club’s Covid lay-off and another month out through suspension after losing his cool with Josh Jones, Savelio struggled to hit those heights again.
It came as no surprise to see Hodgson laying down to the gauntlet to Savelio ahead of a pre-season that will once again be hugely important for him in terms of career.
Savelio, though, is used to bouncing back, in fact a large chunk of his time with the club so far has been about battling difficulties.
Whether the obstacles have been physical, mental or otherwise, he has found a way through them all in order to perform, so far.
Therefore, with his contract signed, he can focus on rediscovering his confidence and answering Hodgson’s challenge head on.