Minichiello extends stay on Humberside

Hull FC back rower Mark Minichiello has extended his stay with the Black and Whites by signing new one-year deal.

Minichiello will remain with the Challenge Cup holders until the end of the 2018 campaign.

The former Gold Coast Titan had a successful first year in East Yorkshire, winning the Supporters’ Player of the Year and Player of the Year awards with prop Liam Watts.

The 35-year-old was part of the 2016 Super League Dream Team alongside five of his Hull team-mates and helped the club to cup glory at Wembley for the first time in their history.

Minichiello said: “I’m really excited to be going around again. I’ve been happy with my form recently and there’s still plenty more I want to achieve with this club before I leave.

“I feel well, my body is well and mentally I’ve still got that drive to achieve more silverware with Hull FC. I’m really happy here and it was never an option to look anywhere else.

“We set the Challenge Cup as a goal last year and it was great for the club and for myself to win my first piece of silverware, but there’s one pinnacle I’ve not reached and that’s the Grand Final and that’s something I would love to do with Hull FC.”

Hull boss Lee Radford added: “I’m over the moon to keep Mark for another year – it was a no-brainer. He’s still playing well at his age and he’s the model professional for any young rugby league player with the way he looks after his body, which has helped him prolong his career.

“It’s been good for him coming over here and the change of competition has also done him good. It meant an awful lot to him winning his first piece of silverware last year and there was no one more devastated than him in the changing rooms after the loss to Wigan in the play-offs, because he realises more than anyone than that those opportunities don’t come around too often.”