NextGen: Meet the Hull FC fullback tipped for Super League stardom who coaches ‘fell in love with’
It has been another difficult season for Hull FC at first-team level, but the emergence of several homegrown talents has provided a cause for huge optimism.
Jack Charles made his senior bow earlier this year and has been a regular, Lewis Martin has made his mark and Logan Moy has also shone brightly following his debut in April.
When Moy scored against Hull Kingston Rovers recently, it was the realisation of a childhood dream for the boyhood Black and Whites fan.
Love Rugby League spoke to Hull’s newly-appointed head of youth, Richard Tate, about the 18-year-old fullback’s promising potential..
Background
A Skirlaugh Bulls junior, and Malet Lambert School pupil, Moy joined Hull FC on scholarship and progressed to enjoy two solid campaigns with the club’s academy under then head coach Michael Shenton.
He was crowned the club’s Academy Player of the Year in 2023, at the end of a season where Moy played a big role in helping the Under-18s reach the play-off semi-finals.
Head of youth Tate said: “Winning the Academy Player of the Year, as voted for by all his peers, was a fantastic achievement for Logan.
“He wasn’t just getting the recognition of his coaches and our youth development staff, but his own team-mates were recognising all his hard work as well.”
Moy then graduated into the first-team squad ahead of the current campaign and came off the bench to make his senior bow against Huddersfield Giants at the MKM Stadium in April 2024.
Tate added: “After being promoted into first-team squad, he was still seen as a senior academy player who had to earn his stripes and the respect of the senior players and coaching staff.
“But I remember the first week of pre-season and Tony Smith just fell in love with Logan.
“Again, it was his character – he’s a bundle of energy and a joy to be around, so he was a massive asset to those senior professionals heading into their numerous pre-seasons.
“Logan, as a young kid, was loving every minute of it and his personality is infectious. He can light up a room whoever he’s with.”
Moy is a boyhood Hull FC supporter and Tate added: “I know from speaking to his family that he’s got pictures of when he was a young fan and had various role models who he looked up to.
“Now he’s in the first-team representing his boyhood club, and becoming an idol to other young kids. But he’s not forgotten where he’s come from either.
“I know he’s still around his amateur club at Skirlaugh and will often be found there in his spare time, supporting some of the younger teams.
“He also comes to Hull FC academy and reserves home fixtures to support the lads who were his team-mates last year.
“Logan is very grounded and very close to his family – his mum and dad continue to be at every game, home and away, supporting him.”
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Style of play – ‘playing fullback suits him to a tee’
Blessed with blistering pace and rugby intelligence, Moy can play fullback, halfback, hooker and even loose forward.
But it was the switch to becoming a regular fullback which proved transformative in his rise to prominence.
Tate said: “Logan actually signed for our scholarship as a half-back and hooker, with his natural attributes – pace, agility and competitiveness – clear to see.
“He’s a bubbly character with a very open mindset, so when Shenny made the decision to look at him as a fullback there were no hesitations.
“It’s been one of the best decisions that we’ve probably made for Logan because it just suits his style of play and skillset to a tee.
“Logan is quite a vocal person; he does organise the team well from fullback, and he always puts his body in where he needs to defensively. He’s earned the trust of the senior boys.”
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Moy caught the eye when scoring his second Super League try in the recent home defeat in the Hull derby.
“It was Logan’s first derby game at first-team level and to score at the MKM Stadium was a special moment for him and his family,” said Tate.
“He’s also in competition positionally with a former Grand Final winner in Jack Walker, who is an experienced and established Super League fullback.
“Plus we’ve got Davy Litten there too, who is also learning about the outside back positions for his continued development at the senior level, but also because of how well Logan Moy is playing.
“But credit needs to be paid to Jack and Davy, who are both very supportive of Logan, and who we know has huge potential.
“I believe Logan can go as far as he wants to within the game, and I’m sure he will be within the Hull FC family for a very long time because of his ability, character, hard work and honesty.”
Career options outside of rugby league
Moy is currently applying for an Outreach Support Worker role within East Yorkshire, having already gained a qualification in Sport & Exercise through the club’s successful college system.
Tate said: “Open Care Consulting Ltd are a fantastic organisation who provide highly trained and capable staff to support children, young people and families in a range of different settings.
“Lennon Bursell has been part of their team for over a year now and Logan’s hopefully going to be joining their support team throughout the summer.
“I think it’s just brilliant and it supports our clubs ethos on not just developing good rugby league players within our systems, but developing good people too.”
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Logan Moy among a group of talented academy products
Hull FC’s current first-team squad is littered with players who have come through the Academy ranks.
Along with Moy, there is also Davy Litten, Denive Balmforth, Jack Charles, Lewis Martin, Matty Laidlaw, Will Gardiner and Zach Jebson.
Highly-rated Tate, who was appointed the club’s new Head of Youth last month, is passionate about developing young players.
He said: “My main focus is to continue helping these young players develop in the best possible way. That’s always been my passion, and I’m really determined to succeed in that.
“It has been a tough environment, so far, for our first-team, with so much change both on and off the field; but our younger players have been a shining light; they’re not just holding their own at that level, they’re looking comfortable and that’s a really positive thing.
“Even though the young lads are still constantly developing both physically and skill wise, when some of them have been thrown in at the deep end they’re not sinking, they’re swimming – and that’s a real credit to all the support staff that our young players have around them.
“There is so much talent coming out of our youth system at Hull FC.
“Richie Myler really believes in these young players coming through our system and he is in regular contact with John Cartwright, who is on the other side of the world asking about these young kids.
“A lot of our young players have had a different journey to get to where they are now – Logan didn’t have a Scholarship programme really because of Covid-19.
“Lewis Martin was a footballer at Hull City and was identified playing school rugby.
“Matty Laidlaw is another product of Hull FC’s Sports College system and was identified playing at Hull Dockers.
“Harvey Barron is a bit older but again, he was a footballer at Scunthorpe United and was identified playing school rugby, and Will Gardiner was playing open-age rugby at West Hull in the NCL before joining our Reserves and then making his Super League debut within the space of six months.”
Player profile
Name: Logan Moy
Date of birth: 10/08/2005
Position: Fullback
Senior debut: Huddersfield Giants (H), 06/04/2024
Honours: Yorkshire Academy
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