Jake Clifford has completed his first full week at Hull FC and he is already excited to rip into the Black & Whites’ pre-season fixtures.
The 24-year-old Australian halfback was the last of FC’s new recruits to join up with the first-team squad having arrived from ‘Down Under’ last week.
He was straight out on the field for his first session in sub-zero temperatures on Monday morning, a stark contrast from the mid 30s of the Queensland summer.
However, Clifford was not letting the cold dampen his spirits as he was given a warm welcome by his new Hull team mates.
Having completed his first week at the University of Hull training facility, the former Newcastle Knights half has got a taste for it, and says he is chomping at the bit to get into preparations for the season in the New Year.
“I guess when New Year hits, it’s game time. Pre-season will continue but it’s all about building up towards that first trial game,” he said.
“We’ll get a short break for Christmas and then we’re back in not too long after the New Year. That’s when we really get to look forward to the year ahead, and for me personally, I’m really excited to get started.
“All of the lads look massive to me! There are some big bodies in the squad and a lot of athletic looking ones, too. We’ve been doing a lot of skill work since my arrival, so we’ll move onto a lot more opposed stuff in the New Year and that will help me find out what this set of boys are all about.”
Although Clifford missed the last few rounds of the season with the Knights through a broken arm, he is already back to full fitness.
Having dedicated the majority of his down-time back home in Australia to training and recovering, he has been able to take part in all sessions with the first-team squad this week.
Once the squad return to training in the New Year, Tony Smith’s side will have just shy of three weeks to prepare for their first trial match against Championship outfit, Sheffield Eagles, a game that Clifford is hoping to be involved in.
“I’m definitely hoping to play in both trial games, but I suppose it depends how the conditioning and sports science staff want me to go about it,” he said.
“If I can get about half a game in the first match and then a full game in for the second one that would be ideal, for match fitness more than anything.
“But also it will help me get used to playing alongside the boys, learn how they play and hit up some good combinations. You can also tinker with some of those things in the trial games, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck into them.”
As much as Clifford is looking to pull on a Hull FC jersey for the first time, the Black & Whites fans are equally excited to see the 24-year-old in action.
Speaking in his first interview with Hull FC Live, Clifford explained how he has been taken aback by the support he has received from the fans, and how he hopes to reward them in 2023.
“It’s pretty cool to see how passionate the Hull fans are,” he said.
“What we’ve got to do as a team is play really well and put some pride in that jersey. If we go out there and try our best every week, I’m sure the Hull supporters will get behind us no matter what.
“So we’re working really hard behind-the-scenes in pre-season to get us in the best possible shape for the year ahead. Hopefully we can win some games and reward the fans with some finals footy – that would be a good year ticked off, for sure.”
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