With May 1st now well and truly passed, clubs across Super League can officially start negotiations with players who are off-contract at the end of this season.
We have seen a number of transfers take place already, with Hull FC by far the busiest club in the market.
A new head coach will soon follow new Director of Rugby Richie Myler into the MKM Stadium, but the lack of certainty, and the lack of recent success, means Hull could have easily struggled to entice players.
However, with Tom Briscoe already making the switch and John Asiata already agreeing to move for 2025, this doesn’t seem to necessarily be the case with the club’s ambitions clear from next season – they want to compete at the top of Super League.
Myler has been given the license to spend the full cap and exhaust the full marquee player rule of three players, with Zak Hardaker and Oliver Holmes also reportedly signed up for 2025.
There is undoubtedly more to follow, with Jordan Abdull and Chris Satae linked with a return to the club at the start of this week.
With that in mind, here are five other attractive options FC may look to as they continue their major squad overhaul.
Five players Hull FC could target
Matt Parcell
Hull FC seem to be making a habit of signing players from their city rivals Hull KR, and they may be tempted to look at Matt Parcell.
The 31-year-old Australian hooker is off-contract and could be a good replacement for Danny Houghton, with the FC legend likely to retire at the season’s conclusion.
Despite reports Parcell is likely to return home to Australia, don’t be surprised if he does a Ben Galea and reverses that call if FC come in with a lucrative offer for him to play on.
This also seems a deal that could happen with Myler and Parcell knowing each other very well having played together at Leeds during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Parcell has impressed during his time at KR, making over 100 appearances after signing from the Rhinos during the 2019 campaign.
During his first season with Leeds in Super League, Parcell was instrumental in helping the club win the 2017 Grand Final at Old Trafford against Castleford Tigers.
He has experience of producing in big matches and is another player who would be good in the dressing room at the MKM Stadium, providing a calming influence.
Parcell has come from clubs with good culture and DNA, he has been part of the Robins’ rise under Willie Peters and would be a great buy for Myler and Hull.
Mike Cooper
It’s clear that Myler is targeting experience in the market and that can certainly be provided by Wigan Warriors prop Mike Cooper.
The 35-year-old forward has experience in Super League’s biggest games, played in the NRL and has represented England 13 times.
A one-year deal for the veteran would be a good piece of business, with his contract at Wigan set to expire at the end of this season.
Cooper has had injury problems since signing for Wigan in 2022, including missing the majority of the 2023 campaign after he was sidelined with a knee injury on Good Friday.
After a scare in the World Club Challenge triumph over Penrith Panthers earlier this season, Cooper is back now and has provided all of the reliability and consistency we have become accustomed to from him throughout his career.
Cooper is a safe bet for FC. He is still an excellent forward who will provide much-needed go-forward and, perhaps more importantly, he will provide a trustworthy voice in the dressing room which will help build the right culture at the club.
Willie Isa
Another Wigan player with huge experience is Willie Isa.
Isa is in a similar predicament to Cooper. He is 35, out of contract and has struggled with injury problems.
The back-rower is currently sidelined with a fractured ankle but Warriors head coach Matt Peet has revealed he is well on the road to recovery.
Should he be able to return to full fitness, Isa would be a good pickup for Hull. He has that heart and desire that has been missing from the FC team for some time.
Standards have dropped significantly at the Black and Whites this season, but Isa is a player you can guarantee would instantly raise those standards.
He’s a competitor who leads by example in his actions rather than words but that is what Hull need right now, less talking and more commitment and effort on the pitch.
Isa is in the final years of his career no doubt, but if Wigan opt against giving him a one-year deal then he would be a no-brainer for Myler and FC.
Ryan Hampshire
Another Wigan player, this time in the shape of Ryan Hampshire.
The utility man began his professional career with Wigan, where he is now, but between his stints there, he showed his quality for Castleford in two spells, six years apart, as well as with Leigh for a year and Wakefield Trinity until 2021.
He’s made over 150 Super League appearances and has rarely played a bad game, being unlucky in 2022 with injury.
Nu Brown and Tex Hoy’s departures left a big hole in the squad in terms of versatility and creativity, but Hampshire’s ability to slot seamlessly into various positions could offer them a new option.
His experience in the Super League makes him one of the best players available despite not being a starter currently.
He’s also an option as kicker, scoring 129 for Wakefield across four seasons there.
Olly Russell
Olly Russell has strongly been linked with Wakefield for next season, however, he could be a good addition for Hull if they fail to land Jordan Abdull from Catalans.
Although not a half-back, they’ve also lost the creativity of Tex Hoy, and while they do have young Jack Charles coming through the ranks currently in the halves, that’s certainly not enough to fill the playmaking hole.
Russell could be the answer: he’s not played since the first five rounds of the season, but Huddersfield are really impressing currently, which is all that’s keeping him out the side.
He, according to Ian Watson, has made the decision to leave the club at the end of the current campaign.
The goal-kicking 25-year-old will certainly be a target for a number of sides, and FC should be one of them.
Russell is hugely underrated and needs to find a club that suits him, one who want to move forward and have a point to prove – Hull could be the answer.
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