Denive Balmforth says he has been using pre-season to not only build up his fitness levels, but also refine his defensive capabilities.
The teenage hooker made his senior debut against Toulouse Olympique in April, scoring a try in a comprehensive win for the Black & Whites on what was a day to remember.
Balmforth was also a key part in Hull FC’s Academy team in 2022, helping them reach the play-off semi-finals.
But the 19-year-old is still looking for ways to improve his game, and speaking to hullfc.com, Balmforth discussed how he has been using pre-season drills to enhance his work in defence.
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“Defence is a really big thing for me and it’s something I need to spend a lot of time working on,” he said.
“They’re the small details that if you get right, they can make a significant difference.
“We’ve been smashing out a lot of defensive drills with the lads in pre-season to try and fine tune those small details. But there are still bits for me to be working on and I’m always keen to improve, so that’s what I’ll be striving for in the New Year.”
Balmforth joined FC from Warrington’s Academy in March earlier this year, so he was not afforded the luxury of a pre-season with the Airlie Birds, meaning this is his first pre-season campaign with the Black & Whites.
The hooker is grateful to have had the opportunity to spend pre-season with Hull this time around, and he believes it could be the key to unlocking a great year.
“It’s been great to have this pre-season, because I wasn’t fortunate enough to have one at Hull last year,” he said.
“I would have to admit that we didn’t get the best version of myself last year and a lot of that was down to my fitness, so there’s been a big emphasis on that for me this time around.
“The conditioning staff have been awesome with us, building us up nicely. But the work will continue in the New Year and I’m sure it will become even more intense to prepare us for the start of the season.”