Hull FC notebook as player burns sage on pitch and Aidan Sezer lauded for big moment

Yahoo

12-07-2025

Hull FC got the monkey off their back with a home win at the 12th time of trying. The Black and Whites defeated Wakefield Trinity 16-10 on Thursday night, tasting victory at the MKM Stadium for the first time in 355 days. Here is the latest notebook.
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Pre-match ritual
Hull FC, as per John Cartwright, met at a hotel prior to last week's game against St Helens in an attempt to match the prep and feeling of an away day. They then travelled to the MKM Stadium before taking on the Saints. Ultimately, it all came to no avail, with the side beaten again.
Cue Brad Fash. Hull Live has been told that the Hull FC forward literally burnt some sage on the MKM Stadium field before the Wakefield game.
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The practice is known as smudging and is primarily used for spiritual cleansing and purification but also for its potential health benefits. It's believed to clear negative energy, improve mood, and even purify the air. It certainly did that for Hull, who had a strong second half to thank for victory. And Fash, on his 200th career appearance and with his testimonial confirmed, certainly played his role – both before and during the game.
Hull FC's captain stands up again
Hull FC centred their 2025 recruitment on one thing: leadership. They badly needed experience, and that's what they went out and got. First came John Asiata, then Zak Hardaker, and then Aidan Sezer.
And while Asiat is currently out with a hamstring injury, Sezer, skippering the side, continues to come up trumps. He, along with Hardaker, led the half-time team talk on Thursday, with Sezer setting the example just before the break.
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"Aidan had a carry just on half-time," head coach John Carwright explained. "We were doing nothing with the ball; we were just coming off our try line, and that was our own fault, but he took a carry just on halftime, and he did it last week when we scored the try. He just hit it up where a front-rower would normally hit it up and broke three to four tackles. That's what leadership is—when things aren't going well, you get put there, and you change it on your own."
And speaking of Hardaker...
Thursday night saw another strong performance from Zak Hardaker, with the Hull FC veteran stepping into the full-back position once again and delivering a stern account. Safe as a rock at the back, Hardaker repelled all that came at him, remained safe under the high ball, and returned well.
"He just gets better every week," Cartwright said. "Words don't describe what he does. Unless you've played the game, it's really hard to comprehend how he came up with such big plays time after time after time. He just looked to have more energy than anyone else on the field. It's a really rare gift."
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Davy Litten's message
The young Hull FC couldn't hide his delight after full-time, posting on the club's YouTube channel in a short but sweet message to the fans.
He said: "Hello Old Faithful. Great result at home, and good to get that monkey off our back. We couldn't do it without your support. See you next week. Get in there!"
Unbelievable, Jeff
There was a well-known sports reporter in attendance at Hull FC on Thursday night: Chris Kamara. The Middlesbrough-born former footballer and Sky Sports pundit took his seat in the West Stand as Hull got a first home win in 355 days, with Lewis Martin scoring the winning try – his 20th effort of the season from 21 games played. Unbelievable, Jeff.