Hull FC cast-off Tex Hoy ready to crack Super League after finding home at Castleford Tigers
Unfortunately for the Black and Whites, they were on the receiving end of Hoy's silky try after releasing the full-back in the early part of last season.
Hull’s loss has been Castleford Tigers’ gain.
Hoy played 24 games from the start of 2023 but struggled to produce his best rugby for the embattled Airlie Birds.
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Hide AdCastleford offered the Australian a lifeline and a platform to showcase his skills, which were on display against his former employers in May.
A short-term arrangement quickly turned into a long-term deal, giving Hoy a sense of security following a turbulent spell at Hull.
After salvaging his season with seven tries in 17 matches for the Tigers – three of those scored against the Black and Whites – Hoy feels in a good place to make 2025 his year.
"I've got mixed emotions about 2024, to be honest," he said.
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"Things didn't work out at Hull. I thought I was playing some decent footy there in a side that was struggling at the time.
"I had a couple of weeks where I didn't know what I was going to do and then Cas came through and gave me an opportunity. I just wanted to repay them and show everyone I can play footy.
"I thought I did that in games. I want to be more consistent going forward but there were a handful of games, if not more, that I was happy with.
"At the start of my time here, I just wanted to add what I could add without coming in and doing things completely different.
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"I feel like I did that early on and started expressing myself a bit more as the season went on. I feel like I've found my voice now."
The early evidence points to Castleford being a better fit for Hoy, who discovered the perils of striking a deal with a club midway through the year after deciding to swap Newcastle Knights for Hull in 2022.
Brett Hodgson – the coach Hoy signed to play under – did not make it to the pre-season and the spine looked different to the one advertised following Jake Connor's exit.
Hull finished 10th in Hoy's first season and the situation did not improve, leading to his departure last April.
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Asked if there was anything he would change about his time at the MKM Stadium, Hoy replied: "Not really.
"I don't want to go too much into it because there are a lot of things behind the scenes that just didn't work out. They struggled a fair bit as well.
"I just want to leave it at that."
Hoy is understandably looking to the future after finding a home at Castleford.
The Tigers have undergone significant changes in Hoy's short time at the club to continue a theme of his stay in Super League.
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Hide AdBut in new head coach Danny McGuire, Hoy has the perfect mentor to unlock his potential.


"I've had some good conversations with Danny," said Hoy.
"We're working behind the scenes on how we should play and ways he can help me be a better player too.
"I'm enjoying my time under him. As a spine player, he wants you to express yourself and play eyes-up footy, something he was really good at back in his time. He's still really good at it, to be honest.
"He doesn't want us to get too locked into team structures and being at the right points. Once there's an opportunity, go find the footy and make things happen."
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Hide AdA 10th-place finish in 2024 left a good deal of scope for improvement but McGuire opted to keep changes to a minimum, instead focusing on adding stardust to a largely inexperienced squad.
The Tigers have recruited four overseas players, headed by former Parramatta Eels half-back Daejarn Asi.
"He's showing really good signs in training," said Hoy.
"He's a very skilful player and talks very well as well to help me and the middles get around the park.
"He's just got to find his feet and adjust to a different playing style over here. Once he does that, he's going to look even better.
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Hide Ad"We've just got to give him time and let him adjust and find his way."
After experiencing some of the pitfalls himself, Hoy can finally say he is settled in England.
The next challenge is to truly make his mark in Super League.
"I thought I started to do that last year," added Hoy.
"I just need to get my good games and not-so-good games a bit closer. That's probably the biggest thing I'm still learning to do.
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Hide Ad"I'm definitely settled here now. The first year was a bit tough, moving away from family and all that stuff, but I think I've found a really good balance of speaking to my family and focusing on why I'm here – to play footy.
"I've got to put all my eggs into the basket and repay Cas for giving me an opportunity to keep playing."
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