Video: Long road back has an end in sight for Hull FC's Gareth Ellis

Ellis, the club’s distinguished captain and former Great Britain international, is finally closing in on a return to fitness after yet another wretched injury.

Having already broken his foot in the warm-up before his much-anticipated Hull debut at Leeds Rhinos in 2013 – after a hugely successful stint in the NRL was ended by a similar problem – he then, cruelly, snapped his Achilles tendon at Hull KR last July.

The veteran second-row has not played since but, with the new Super League season starting a fortnight tomorrow for the Airlie Birds, everyone wants to know when he will.

Asked about the situation yesterday, Lee Radford, Hull’s head coach who is always fast with a quip, said: “We’ve just had the physio in and we’ve had to change his underpants four or five times.

“I’ve never seen a more nervous bloke in my life! Gareth’s saying he’s good to go. It will be round one or two I think.

“He’s participating fully in training now and we’re erring on the side of caution by not playing him on Sunday (in the home friendly against Hull KR).”

It is a no-brainer really.

As much as Hull need a good start to their season after a disappointing eighth-placed finish last term – and Ellis’s world-class ability will aid that – nobody wants to risk the player going through any more injury torment. It is simply not worth it.

However, Ellis gives another slant.

“I feel like I could play Sunday and it’s not the physical aspect as I must have done a million calf raises,” the former Leeds forward told The Yorkshire Post.

“But I just haven’t touched a ball! This has been the first week they’ve let me loose a little back in the team and, even at my age of 34, that still feels a bit awkward having been out for so long.

“I think we’ll use the free World Club Challenge weekend (February 19-21) to grab another couple of weeks and then go for the Cas’ game at home.”

Whenever he does return, Ellis will not only have six months of rustiness to contend with but also a new role in the Airlie Birds’ team.

He may have started as a sprightly centre at Wakefield Trinity when first playing Super League in 1999 and later be named the world’s best second-row but this term he is going to function heavily at prop.

“Don’t they call it ‘middles’ these days!” Ellis contends, clinging on to the hope that, as loose forwards playing like props also come under that bracket, he won’t be fully consigned to the front-row fraternity.

“There’s a lot there to get my head around but I’m confident I can do it in the next few weeks. Probably in recent years I knew it might happen.

“I remember when at Wests Tigers that Tim Sheens always said I’d end up in the front-row and it seems to be the progression of second-rows now.

“Moz (Adrian Morley) did the same probably a bit earlier than he’d have hoped and JP (Jamie Peacock) did, too, so it does seem to be where you end up. I’ve never had that much pace anyway and our recruitment points to me playing more in the middle which is good for me; it’s a new challenge and exciting but a lot of tough stuff to do as well.”

On the subject of fellow Lions Morley and Peacock, legendary forwards who both finally retired aged 38 and 37 respectively last season, Ellis admits it is going to be odd not facing them anymore.

“It will be strange as those players have been around for all of my career,” he said.

“I think there’s only (Castleford prop) Andy Lynch older than me now! It will be a bit different but I can’t say I’ll miss playing against them; they were two of the toughest players I’ve ever played against or with. It’ll be a bit of a new look to the game here without them.”

Ellis – in terrific form when that Achilles snapped – essentially missed the Super 8s last year but that was a non-event for the East Yorkshire club anyway.

Almost before they begun, when creeping into the final eighth spot, Hull knew they would not be able to make up ground and reach the requisite top-four place over the next seven rounds to reach the semi-finals.

It effectively felt like a series of seven dead-rubbers, for Hull at least, and Ellis said: “That was probably the conversation we had after that last game – we don’t want to be in that situation again.

“It was no good for anybody and it shows you have to be up there to begin with (after 23 rounds) to have a chance or you’re cut adrift playing for nothing really.

“It is so important for us to get a good start and be in touch when the Super 8s kick in.”