Hull FC’s young winger Lewis Martin had a year to remember in 2025 – but he’s already focused on reaching new heights in the new Super League season.
Martin scored a remarkable 25 tries across 27 rounds for the Black and Whites which saw him crowned as Super League’s top try scorer for the season and nominated for Young Player of the Season.
Despite masses of improvements from the Black and Whites under John Cartwright, they narrowly missed out on the play-offs in 2025 as Wakefield clinched sixth spot.
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Now, with sides knowing what Hull FC are all about and some strong new signings including James Bell, Sam Lisone, Joe Batchelor, and Jake Arthur, they know this season will come with expectation.
That is why, for Martin, being in contention to make it to Old Trafford come October has to be an absolute minimum.
“Massively. I think anything but the playoffs will be a failure,” Lewis told Sky Sports.
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Check out the top tries from the 2025 Super League season.
“We want to win it and there’s no point playing in it if you don’t think you’ve got a chance of winning. That belief is part of it as well.
“So if we don’t get the playoffs, it will be a failure of the season.
“This year, it is about the team and it’s always about the team but also making them play-offs and hopefully playing in some finals.
“I think we had a good balance last year and Zak (Hardaker), he probably led us last season as well but I think we have added to that more this year as well.
“It is good for the young guys to have the leaders around the pitch but we want to prove ourselves as well.”
And after a year of such individual highs, what is Martin aiming for in 2026?
Simply, more of the same but with a longer season as he looks to turn an exceptional season into an exceptional career.
“At the start of last year, I probably didn’t expect to play round one and then to play every minute of every game it was crazy,” he added.
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“It is nice to get the tries and to be top at the end of the year but I think it is now about making the playoffs.
“We have been big on connection, building that connection. We have got quite a lot of new players and I think that’s been a big, big part of it.
“We want to be a tight-knit group and I think we have done that really well.
“I just want to get playing now. I am just taking it season by season. I can’t get ahead of myself, it was only one year.
“You don’t make a career off one good season so I have got to keep playing well and improving myself.”
Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining five matches each week shown on Sky Sports+