Yahoo News Denive Balmforth's pre-season vow after Hull FC activate contract extension
Denive Balmforth insists he is doing everything he can to stake a claim in Hull FC's first-team plans next season after signing a new contract with the club. The livewire hooker has had an option in his contract activated, which will see him remain at the MKM Stadium in 2024.
The 20-year-old spent the year at Championship side Newcastle Thunder, standing out as one of their top performers in a difficult campaign. Balmforth played 26 games, scoring six tries, and will now return to his parent club hoping to secure a spot in Tony Smith's lineup next season.
The departures of Joe Lovodua and Brad Dwyer are likely to offer Balmforth a more realistic pathway into the first team next year, with hope in place that he can be one of several youngsters to establish themselves over the course of next season. That is Balmforth's intention too, who hopes the work he's doing now will reap rewards next year.
"I'm just buzzing to have my future secured for 2024," he said. "I think it's testament to how hard I've worked since I joined the club a couple of years ago. I'd say 2023 is the year I've turned from a boy into man, playing week in, week out up at Newcastle. It's been a massive opportunity for me to challenge myself in the Championship and it's just made me hungry to play in Super League for Hull.
"I'm making a lot of scarifies and working incredibly hard behind-the-scenes at the minute to make sure I'm in the best possible shape for 2024, so I'm really excited for what the future holds. Tony [Smith] has been great for me, always staying in touch and making sure I'm on the right track. I'm sure he'll continue guiding me along the path, and hopefully I'll be able to bear the fruits of my hard work in the near future."
Commenting, Smith hopes his exposure to first-team rugby at Newcastle will benefit his game this year. “Denive certainly got what he needed out of 2023, and that is playing as much footy as possible. He increased his game time and he increased his fitness, which was really important.
"He’s come on a lot and has really benefited from that experience, which we’re looking forward to him bringing into pre-season. Denive still has some developing to do in the early stages of his career. However, what I would say is that he is very committed to his fitness, which is a credit to him, and it is up to him to take this opportunity now and grab it with both hands.”
