The Hull Football Club coach, Lee Radford, has made it known that the role of captain for the upcoming 2018 season has not yet been decided. This begs the question, who is in the running?
The retirement of Gareth Ellis left a gaping void in the Black and Whites after he was responsible for leading the club in back-to-back Challenge Cup trophies before hanging his boots up when the domestic season came to an end.
Ellis was a major reason for Hull managing to turn around on the field after taking over from Andy Lynch’s captaincy to lead the Football Club through five successive campaigns. Ellis is now taking up the role of manager, and the next captain will be decided soon.
With this in mind, it may be interesting to see who is in competition with vice-captain Danny Houghton for the starring role. There are two likely contenders, both of which we look at here.
Houghton is the Logical First Choice
As punters who enjoy Aussie sports betting will no doubt tell you, the obvious choice for the Black and Whites’ captain is the star hooker.
Houghton is the vice-captain, so he is the next man in line, and his consistency and standing makes this choice make sense.
Houghton has been an essential member of Hull since his 2007 debut, and his efforts during a very impressive campaign in 2016 saw him winning the Steve Prescott Man of Steel award.
He was further the sole member of the current squad that got included in Ellis’ best XIII players he has been on the field with, with Ellis mentioning this while he was talking to Rugby AM last season.
This kind of recognition by your predecessor is hard to beat!
International Captains are in the Mix
Sika Manu and Mark Minichiello are the two most experienced players in the Hull team, and both are also certainly in the running for at least the vice-captain position if not the captaincy itself.
Maybe Minichiello Will Make His Mark
Minichiello has been a very dominant force since his arrival at Hull Football Club just before the 2015 season kicked off, and he is currently captain of the Italian team for the Rugby League World Cup happening this year.
He has a vast amount of National Rugby League, International, and Super League experience to draw from, and is known to be a leader who practices what he preaches.
Manu has Many Things Going for Him Too
Although his style is totally different, a lot quieter, especially in terms of how he goes about his business when not on the field, Manu has a very similar amount of experience, and a wealth of attributes which see him winning on the field.
There is no greater clue to his standing in Hull Football Club than the fact that he is captaining the star-studded team from Tonga at the World Cup even though he has spent the last two seasons playing in the United Kingdom!