From Man of Steel to ‘Tackle 52’: Danny Houghton’s 9 most iconic Hull FC moments ranked

Ben Olawumi
Danny Houghton

Danny Houghton in action for Hull FC in 2024

Legendary Hull FC hooker Danny Houghton has announced that he will hang up his boots for once and for all come the end of the 2024 season.

Set to turn 36 next month, Houghton has spent his entire career with boyhood side Hull, making 449 appearances for them across all competitions to date having made his senior debut back in July 2007.

Never departing the MKM Stadium, not even to feature elsewhere on loan or dual-registration, the only other shirt he’s ever donned is that of England Knights.

Making his bow for the Knights in October 2011 against France, he made two further appearances for them 12 months later, featuring against both Ireland and Scotland.

Below, we take a look at nine of Hull’s No. 9’s memorable career highlights and rank them…

9. A senior bow for his boyhood club

Danny Houghton
Hull FC’s Danny Houghton pictured during a Super League clash against Harlequins in February 2008 – his sixth senior appearance

Houghton’s first-ever appearance at senior level for the Airlie Birds came off the bench on Friday, July 13, 2007 against Harlequins at the KC Stadium as it was then known. He helped FC to a 20-8 victory.

Coming from behind to earn a comfortable victory, Richard Horne and Craig Hall were the hosts’ try-scorers, with Danny Tickle kicking five goals and Hall also tagging on two points with the boot.

8. Super League’s Top Tackler

Quickly establishing himself as Hull‘s starting No. 9, Houghton ended the campaign as Super League’s top tackler in 2011 – bringing opponents down more times than anyone else in the competition that year – and winning the ‘Hit Man’ award.

He’s since gone on to earn the accolade a further six times – in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022. No other player has won it on more than one occasion yet!

7. Becoming FC’s skipper

Danny Houghton
Danny Houghton in action for Hull FC in 2018 – The year he was first named the club’s captain

Just over a decade on from his debut for his boyhood club, Houghton was handed the captaincy of the Black and Whites ahead of the 2018 season, given the honour by fellow local lad Lee Radford, who was in charge of FC from 2013 to 2020.

Houghton retained the captaincy from 2018 to 2021, sharing the honour with Scott Taylor and Marc Sneyd in the latter of those years before Luke Gale took it over outright in 2022.

6. Super League Dream Team

The Airlie Birds ended the regular season top of the Super League table in 2016, ending up third by the time the Super 8s had been and gone.

Houghton earned himself a spot in the Super League Dream Team alongside six of his team-mates, and you can see the full Dream Team from that year below.

1. Jamie Shaul (Hull FC), 2. Denny Solomona (Castleford), 3. Ryan Atkins (Warrington), 4. Mahe Fonua (Hull FC), 5. Dom Manfredi (Wigan), 6. Kurt Gidley (Warrington), 7. Luke Gale (Castleford), 8. Chris Hill (Warrington), 9. Danny Houghton (Hull FC), 10. Scott Taylor (Hull FC), 11. Ben Currie (Warrington), 12. Mark Minichiello (Hull FC), 13. Gareth Ellis (Hull FC)

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5. Regaining the captaincy

Danny Houghton
Danny Houghton in action for Hull FC in 2024 – The year which will be the last of his career

In recent years, there’s been little for Hull to shout about on the field, but Houghton regaining the captaincy at the start of this year is something he’ll reflect fondly on.

He was overlooked again when Gale departed the club, with Carlos Tuimavave elected the leader of the group in 2023. At the beginning of the current campaign though, Houghton was handed the honour back by then-head coach Tony Smith.

Through injury, he’s not played as much as he’d have liked to this year, making 13 appearances to date due to injuries. Nonetheless, being the skipper of his boyhood club in his last season as a player is something he’ll look back on with pride.

4. Top of the pile at Hull

Speaking of 2022, that was the year which saw the legendary hooker surpass Brian Hancock to become Hull’s leading living appearance maker, and also break into the top ten all-time appearance makers for the Black and Whites.

Houghton has now made 449 senior appearances for his boyhood club, which is more than anyone else in the modern era. In terms of all-time, only three men have featured more often for the Airlie Birds, as follows:

  • 1. Edward ‘Ned’ Rogers – 499
  • 2. Mick Scott – 459
  • 3. Harold Bowman – 451

There are four games remaining before Houghton hangs up his boots. If he can feature in two of those, he’ll move level with Bowman in third place. Regardless, the 449 he’s managed so far is an incredible achievement.

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3. History-making Man of Steel

The accolades didn’t stop there for Houghton though, who was named Super League’s Man of Steel in 2016, pipping team-mate Gareth Ellis and Denny Solomona to the award.

Homegrown star Houghton became Hull’s first-ever winner of the Man of Steel as he scooped the award, and he’s still the club’s only winner to date. Back then, the award was voted for by every single Super League player, with each having to pick the player they thought had made the biggest impact in the competition that year.

2. Back-to-back Challenge Cup triumphs

Houghton had a leading role again at Wembley in 2017 as Hull retained the Challenge Cup for the first time in their history, becoming the first club to win the competition in back-to-back years since Leeds Rhinos in 2014 and 2015.

The hooker delivered a trademark defensive display to help FC to an 18-14 victory in the showpiece of the competition against Wigan Warriors.

 

1. Tackle 52

2016 was a tremendous year for Hull, and Houghton was at the very heart of everything they did. In terms of actual on-field moments, there won’t be many better in his career highlight reel than the tackle which won FC the Challenge Cup in 2016.

12-10 to the good with less than two minutes remaining against Warrington Wolves under the arch, Ben Currie darted for the line and shrugged off two Hull defenders. The Wire man was odds on to dot the ball down over the line and steal victory from the jaws of defeat, but Houghton was there.

The FC ace threw his body at Currie and got underneath the ball in time to dislodge it, ensuring Currie would spill it over the line rather than scoring the try. With that, the Black and Whites won their first major honour for 11 years.

Tackle 52 will live long in the memory for Houghton: and for the Hull faithful.

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