LEIGH LEOPARDS forward John Asiata has signed for Hull FC on a three-year deal from 2025, League Express can exclusively reveal.
Asiata’s future has been up in the air with the Leigh captain off-contract at the end of the 2024 Super League season, but Hull have acted quickly to bring in what they feel like is a huge missing piece of the jigsaw at the MKM Stadium.
It is Richie Myler’s first major signing as the Black and Whites’ director of rugby, following in the footsteps of Leigh pair Tom Briscoe and Ed Chamberlain.
Asiata himself had also been linked with a move back to the NRL, with as many as four clubs said to have been chasing his signature back home.
However, it is Hull that have won the race in what can only be described as a major coup for Myler and the East Yorkshire club.
The 31-year-old came to the UK shores back in 2022, helping Leigh earn promotion from the Championship to Super League with a number of superb performances.
Asiata, who played over 100 games in the NRL for the likes of the North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos, carried on his form into 2023, captaining Leigh to Challenge Cup glory and earning a place in the Super League Dream Team.
The loss of their captain is a big blow for the Leopards who had been in discussions with Asiata over a new deal at the Leigh Sports Village.
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