New Hull FC signing Steve Michaels will not be joining up with the club in time for the start of pre-season, after it was revealed a delay in his application to enter the country means he will miss the first fortnight of training in preparation for the 2015 season.
It is believed that there are no issues with Michaels’ visa application, more that his application has been held up because of the amount of games he did – or didn’t, rather – play in the NRL last season whilst with Gold Coast Titans.
Having signed a one-year deal with Lee Radford’s men earlier in the season, Michaels was expected to be at the KC Stadium in time for the beginning of pre-season on November 1, instead returning late alongside England forward Joe Westerman.
Westerman is away at the Four Nations with Steve McNamara’s side, and will also return to the fold late alongside new signing Michaels. However, he has already begun training in Australia in preparation for the move to England, and is being given a specialist programme to maintain his fitness levels ahead of the move.
Fellow overseas signings Curtis Naughton and Mark Minichiello are already in the country, meaning only two of Lee Radford’s large squad for next year will miss the beginning of pre-season training.
