Liam Sutcliffe is looking forward to putting his feet up over the festive period after putting in the hard yards during his first few weeks as a Hull FC player.
The former Leeds Rhinos man, who is preparing for his first year with the Black & Whites, has spent a number of weeks with his new team mates down at the University of Hull training facility now.
But he is accustomed to playing a pre-season match on Boxing Day every year with Leeds, so having some time off over the festive period is a welcome luxury for the 28-year-old.
“I’m really excited for the Christmas break! I’ve never really had this time of the year off before,” he said.
“At Leeds, we played on Boxing Day pretty much every year in a friendly with Wakefield.
“So I’ve never really had the full Christmas period off. I’m really looking forward to having a bit of down time over the next couple of weeks.
“Obviously, I will still be doing my own little bits from home to make sure I don’t lose too much ground, but it will be really nice to have a bit of time off and spend lots of time with my family.”
Whilst he spends some down time with his loved ones over the next couple of weeks, Sutcliffe will no doubt have one eye firmly placed on 2023 – a year that could be significant for both him and Hull FC.
The 28-year-old is looking to earn his place in Tony Smith’s starting thirteen, with a spot at centre his primary target.
But that will only come through hard work in training. In addition, Sutcliffe has the benefit of two trial matches against Sheffield and Wakefield in the New Year to show what he’s all about.
“It’s what I’m working towards. When I signed at Hull, my initial hope was to play at centre,” he said.
“Hopefully I can work hard in training to prove to Tony that I’m capable of holding down that centre spot this year.
“I know I just need to show what my own game is all about. I’m a runner of the ball and I like to get wide, so if I can get some good combinations with those around me, I’m sure we’ll be looking pretty lively on that edge.”
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