'Ten year benefit' Hull FC duo explain silver lining as club to reap one reward from tough year
Francis Cummins believes the experiences Hull FC's young players are getting right now could serve them for the next decade. The shining light in a season largely to forget, the Black and Whites have fielded several rising talents this year, with Lewis Martin, Will Gardiner, Jack Charles, Logan Moy, Harvey Barron, and co. all getting some significant playing time.
Cummins, who joined Hull as academy and reserves coach last autumn, says those experiences will put them in good stead, so long as they do everything right in terms of professionalism and the like to maximise their development. All showing some signs, a lot of hope is placed on their futures, with Hull, who have struggled for results and performances throughout the year, putting a big emphasis on what they bring through their own system.
And despite the tough nature of this season, with Hull losing 21 of their 24 games to date, Cummins, who says its been difficult for them to front it all as a Hull FC player this year, is confident such experience 'bodes well' for their future, with the club hopeful that recruitment can improve the side's fortunes and that of their youth, who will hopefully come back into a more settled outfit when called upon next year.
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"The experiences that they're getting now will serve them for the next ten years, provided that they invest in themselves," Cummins told Hull Live. "We've all been through it and you'd hope now that those lads will get into the first-team when there's a bit more of a settled team around them with senior lads playing well.
"At times this year, those senior players have gone in and haven't been playing well. That's circumstance, but the lads will learn from it. It's quite tough at the moment; they live it 24 hours a day, and they just want to do well. Unfortunately, the team itself is not doing great at the moment, but it does bode well for the future. It's difficult to be a Hull FC fan at the moment; it's difficult to be a player as well, but it will get better and it will serve them in the future."
Cummins continued: "We're working really hard to put it right as soon as we can, but it doesn't happen overnight. It's been coming for a while with recruitment and where the club has been, but we're in a good position with our youth and fair play to the club that they have invested in the juniors and the youth. It will pay the club back down the line, but at the moment, it's just a bit hard work, isn't it.
"It's really pleasing to see the young lads play; I've enjoyed working with them, and whether they're doing well or not, they've just got to keep focusing on the bigger picture stuff and hopefully it gets easier and that settles them and we get more in. There's a few lads that I think are ready for a little cameo appearance. We just need to get into a position where it's a little bit more settled for them to do that."
Echoing the same thoughts, interim first-team coach Simon Grix says that some of Hull's youth have already exceeded what was expected of them this year, and with the long-term benefits of that to come, providing they keep on developing their game both on and off the field.
"All of those young fellas who are playing, it will do them good in some respect," Grix added. "It's not a great experience for them at the moment, but there's a number of them who have come in and had a taste of it. They know what levels they need to get to to not only compete but to be genuine Super League players.
"The experience will do them good despite the adversity and tough circumstances, but we've also seen some good stuff in and amongst it, and a few of them have exceeded what we hoped from them at the beginning of the year. They've certainly exceeded their own expectations in the number of games that they've played. There is a silver lining there."
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