Hull Seahawks v Milton Keynes Lightning - Bobby Chamberlain not lacking incentive in final showdown against former club

Firstly, he is a hometown boy, coming through the city’s junior system, making his senior bow for Hull Stingrays before splitting his time between East Yorkshire and various other destinations - both in the UK and abroad.

Secondly, one of those destinations was Milton Keynes, Chamberlain enjoying two spells there, most recently for two years until last summer when he was persuaded to come ‘home’ by former team-mate, long-time friend and Seahawks’ head coach, Matty Davies.

And lastly, the experienced 29-year-old believes the Hull fans are yet to see the best of him this season, one that has been hindered off and on since Christmas by an ongoing upper-body injury.

Add those three ingredients together and there is nothing more he would like than to help his team secure their first-ever trophy in only their second-ever season.

Chamberlain has shaken off the injury in time for tomorrow night’s first leg of the eagerly-anticipated final at Hull Ice Arena, the return match in Buckinghamshire next Tuesday.

Despite the injury issue in recent weeks, he has still been the usual force to be reckoned with,Hull’s third top points-scorer with 24 goals and 38 assists in just 39 games.

To believe that there is more to come from himself in the closing weeks of the season, can only be good news for Seahawks’ fans.

“It has been good,” said Chamberlain on his return home. “Personally, I’ve been up and down myself and I feel like I’ve got a lot more to give still. Hull fans are yet to see the best of me this season.”

Chamberlain is one of several homegrown players on the Seahawks’ roster, meaning there is an immediate collective sense of pride and togetherness that is perhaps not as easily come by at most other NIHL National teams.

Having booked their place in the final by dispatching just-crowned league champions Leeds Knights more than a month ago, Chamberlain says the Seahawks are desperate for the final to arrive.

“We’re actually buzzing in the room,” added Chamberlain, a Cup winner in 2017 during his first stint with the Lightning, before a return home to join Hull Pirates saw him play a major role in a treble-winning 2018-19 season under Jason Hewitt.

“The last two or three weeks feels like it has been dragging, everybody has just been waiting for these games. We know what this means to the club and each and every one of us.

“We know it’s going to be a tough test against them, they are no pushovers, they’ve been one of the top teams this year again, as they have been over the last few years - but we’re ready for them.”

In the head-to-head league regular season series between the two, Hull have prevailed with three wins from the five games. Crucially, they are the only team to win in Milton Keynes this season.

“We have matched up well against them this season,” added Chamberlain. “We’ve said in the room that we always seem to match up better against the stronger teams.

“But the Cup game will be totally different - who knows what will happen? I fancy us going into it, we’re going to be confident aren’t we? But so are they, so we’ll just have to see what happens.”