Hull Seahawks' fast start set to be put to test by Swindon Wildcats scar tissue

That run is set to be severely tested when they head to defending champions Swindon Wildcats on Saturday night.

The Link Centre has rarely been a happy hunting ground for the Seahawks, winning just once in 10 previous encounters there - a 6-5 win after a shootout on their final visit to Wiltshire during the 2024-25 campaign.

Their first-ever visit - in fact the first-ever game as the Seahawks franchise - was certainly one to forget, Matty Davies’ team hammered 12-0.

But a lot has changed between that miserable night on September 17, 2022 and now, with head coach Davies believing his current roster is the equal of any team in the UK second-tier.

The early signs in the 2026-27 are promising and back up that assertion but it will be nights like tonight against teams like Swindon where the Seahawks will be seriously judged.

On the back of weekend wins over Solway and arch-rivals Sheffield Steeldogs, Davies is rightly confident ahead of his team’s latest tussle with a Swindon team buoyed a four-game winning streak which includes wins over Milton Keynes Lightning, Leeds Knights and, on Thursday night, a 6-2 home triumph over Basingstoke Bison.

“It’s always tough down there,” said Davies. “It’s not a rink that we've ever been great in, to be honest. They are a really good team and look like they've got some really good imports this year, it's going to be tough.

“But our lads were unreal again last weekend - they have been all season - so I honestly think we can go anywhere, beat anyone right now.

“I back the boys, I back the team. Every night's difficult, but we've just got to keep going and doing what we're doing - I'm confident we can beat everybody.”

Captain Bobby Chamberlain – out injured since the 5-1 home win over Milton Keynes Lightning on October 18 – is still expected to be missing this weekend, added Davies.

Fellow forward Declan Jones remains out, too.