Hull FC duo agree new long-term deals

The former Junior Kiwis captain is currently in his third season with Hull FC, having arrived in East Yorkshire from Newcastle Knights prior to the 2016 season.

Since making the switch from the NRL over to Super League, Tuimavave has won many admirers in England, scoring 22 tries in 54 appearances in all competitions, as well as boasting a formidable defensive record down his left side.

The 26-year-old also featured in both the 2016 and the 2017 Ladbrokes Challenge Cup Finals, assisting in the Black & Whites’ back-to-back victories of the coveted trophy.

The arrival of Albert Kelly and Jake Connor prior to the 2017 season enabled Tuimavave to turn his attention to playing in the centres, having partnered back-to-back Lance Todd Trophy winner Marc Sneyd in the halves in 2016.

It has been his impressive performances in the centres that has prompted the Black & Whites to tie down the former Samoa international for a further two years.

And Tuimavave is delighted to extend his stay with the Airlie Birds, saying: “I’m absolutely buzzing to sign the contract and secure my future with Hull.”

“When the club approached me about signing a new deal, there was never really any doubt in my mind that I wanted to extend my stay here.

“The club have been so good to me and they have supported my family very well. I’ve been made to feel so welcome here in Hull, which made my decision so easy.

“When you’re involved in a team that has won silverware in the last two years, there’s no way you’d want to walk away from that.

“I’m really looking forward to the next few years now because I think we’ve got a good shot at reaching the Grand Final. I’ve got a real ambition to achieve that and hopefully we can get there this year.”

On a busy day At Hull - with Liam Watts leaving for Castleford Tigers - young prop Masimbaashe Matongo also signed a three-year contract extension.

After making his Super League debut with the Black & Whites in 2015, the Zimbabwe-born prop has excelled under the stewardship of former forward Lee Radford.

After impressing in a number of performances last season, Matongo was rewarded with a spot in Paul Anderson’s England Knights Performance Squad last week, before making his first Super League start against Leeds Rhinos on Thursday.

And to cap off a momentous week in his career, Matongo has signed a three-year contract extension with the Black & Whites, keeping him with the club until 2021.

“I first got a call a few weeks ago, saying that Hull wanted to extend my contract, so I was absolutely buzzing to hear that news,” Matongo told hullfc.com.

“I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve been playing lately and I’m looking forward to getting my head down and working hard to improve even more these next few years.

“The contract extension allows me to put a marker down and it will give me the encouragement to try and get up there with the best in the game.”