Hull FC are still to determine Zach Jebson’s long-term position, with the young gun playing in the middle for the first-team at Castleford Tigers on Friday night.
The 19-year-old has also featured in the back row spot, while at reserves level, he is no stranger to the centre role. And on Friday, it was loose-forward where Jebson was deployed, with interim head coach Simon Grix playing the teenager for a fair stint in Hull’s 30-22 loss.
Asked about Jebson post-match, and where he fits into the future, Grix said: “We’re not sure what he is yet. He’s played centre, back row, and in the middle for our club. “He’s an athlete and he’s another one, like Jack Charles, that is a bit of a rugby nerd. He’s looking at everything trying to get better.”
Jebson was a latecomer to the sport, joining Hull’s academy having had a background in another rugby code. However, the Hornsea native has shown some stern progress since joining the club, debuting at St Helens in the final round last year and making his fourth senior appearance at Wheldon Road.
He is also understood to have had his option activated on his current contract, keeping him at the club until at the least the end of the 2025 season, with Grix predicting a fair future at the club.
“He’s actually really young in his rugby league career,” Grix added. “He has a rugby union background. He’s only 19, but in rugby league years, he’s not got much under his belt and he’s going to get better with time. He’s another green shoot for us that we’ve got to be careful with.”
As for green shoots, Jack Charles made a successful return to Hull’s academy side on Saturday after eight games in the first team. Francis Cummins’ side continued their recent winning run with a 29-18 win at Castleford on Saturday, with Charles scoring one try and having a say in others.
Elsewhere, tries came for Will Kirby, Callum Barfield, Joe Ward, and Will Hutchinson, with Charles also kicking four goals and a drop-goal
