Ahead of his return to the Betfred Super League in 2025, Aidan Sezer gave his thoughts to hullfc.com after putting pen to paper with the Black & Whites.
How does it feel to sign for the club for 2025?
“It feels great. Hull FC is a great club and when I played over in England before, I always remember the FC fans were out in big numbers and making lots of noise, so it’s going to be awesome to play in front of them next year.
“I actually know a few of the blokes who have already signed for 2025. It’s going to be exciting to get together with those guys and build up our combinations on the field.”
What kind of conversations were happening behind the scenes in a bid to bring you to FC?
“I spoke to Carty [John Cartwright], and that was pretty much enough to get me to sign.
“It was only a brief conversation over the phone. As soon as I found out he was going to be involved at Hull FC, I was all ears.
“I’ve got the utmost respect for Carty. He coached me at the Titans and I always really enjoyed working under him, so I’m excited to link up with him again.”
You’ll partner Jordan Abdull in the halves in 2025 – how do you feel that partnership will work?
“I’ve always been really impressed with him as a player. He’s all round quality and he’s got a pretty decent boot on him.
“I know he’s been out of the Catalans side with an injury over the last couple of months, and their form has dipped a bit without him, so I know he’ll be a key player for us.
“I actually think we’ll complement each other quite nicely. I can’t wait to get stuck into pre-season and start building up those combinations.”
How have you found the experience of spending this season back in the NRL with Wests Tigers?
“It’s been really enjoyable. It’s been my first time living in Sydney properly during my footy career, so that side of it has been great.
“It’s been a tough test this season, with the Tigers having a pretty young squad in 2024.
“But when the opportunity came up to head back over to England and join a club like Hull FC, it was too good to turn down.
“It’s a league I know well, having spent four years over there pretty recently. I’m just keen to get back over now.”
Tell us what you already know about Hull FC…
“I think the most important thing is what I alluded to earlier and that’s the size of the fan base.
“No matter how the team is going, you always know there’ll be a lot of fans there making loads of noise.
“It’s a proud club with a rich history. I know that I speak for everybody on the playing roster that we want to do a job and turn the club’s fortunes around to help Hull climb back up the ladder.
“I will add that Carty is a massive acquisition for the club. He’s been around the game for a long time. So for him to be leading us is something I’m really looking forward to.”
What kind of an opportunity is this for you to be involved in a transitional period for the club?
“It’s always exciting when you join a club when it’s in a transitional phase and there’s plenty of new faces coming in.
“The boys that are joining the club all have heaps of experience. We’ve all got a responsibility to make sure we are using our experience effectively and we don’t waste the opportunity.
“There’s some great youngsters coming through at Hull at the moment, so the more experience and knowledge we can share with those guys, the better it is for them and the club as a whole.
How good will it be to link up with your former Canberra Raiders team mate, Jordan Rapana, in 2025?
“He’s a huge addition. He’s been one of the best wingers in the NRL for the last decade, but he’s also versatile and he can cover at centre and fullback.
“I’ve been fortunate to play alongside him before. I know what kind of a bloke he is and he’s one heck of a competitor.
“The way he goes about his business and competes in everything he does is going to be infectious for the group.
“I think a lot of those young boys that I mentioned are going to be able to learn a lot from him, like how to prepare in the best way and how to perform consistently at an elite level on a week-to-week basis.”
How do you feel the mix of youth and experience will work for the club in 2025?
“Experience is something that you can only gain by playing for a number of years, and that is an important asset to have.
“The club has obviously chosen to go in the direction of signing a few experienced professionals for the upcoming season, and it’s important to have that balance in a squad to be able to win games.
“I feel the club is on the right path to getting back to a strong platform again, so we’ll all be doing our best to pull in the right direction and help us achieve that.”
On the back of what has been a disappointing year for Hull FC in 2024, what would a successful 2025 be?
“I’m not one for putting early predictions out there. But ultimately, you want to be able to there or thereabouts at the end of the season.
“I know that’s what I’m striving for. I wouldn’t be coming over to Hull FC for any other reason. I want to be able to compete.
“Trying to get Hull FC back as far up the ladder as I possibly can is a challenge I’m really relishing.
“Like I said, we’ve put a really strong squad together for 2025, so it’s up to us to deliver and it all starts by putting in the work in pre-season.”
It’s no secret that pre-season under John Cartwright is going to be hard – how key is a tough pre-season?
“I’ve had numerous pre-seasons under Carty before and they weren’t nice.
“A lot of running, a lot of hard work. But it’s something that is required in our game.
“If we’re not getting stuck into those killers in pre-season, don’t expect to be successful during the season.
“So we’re all going to be ripping in from day one and I’m sure Carty will give us a good run around to get us all in great shape.”
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