NEWCASTLE Knights halfback Jake Clifford will be wearing the Black and White of Hull FC in 2023 after joining the club on a two-year deal.
Clifford will be at the MKM Stadium for 2023 and 2024 and perhaps even 2025 with the club having an option to extend that deal to three years.
The 24-year-old former Australia U18’s captain helped guide the Knights to their joint-best league finish since 2006 in 2020, as the New South Wales side finished 7th on the NRL ladder and qualified for the finals series – the first time since 2013.
And Clifford has spoken of his joy at joining Hull after feeling ‘really wanted’ by Tony Smith and the club.
Speaking to hullfc.com, Clifford said: “I’m really excited to have signed. When Hull approached me, they made me feel like I was really wanted and that was a massive appealing factor for me.
“I’ve got my mate, Tex Hoy, heading over to Hull for next season, as well, so I’m looking forward to linking up with him again.
“I’ve heard some good things from Tony [Smith] too and there are some great players at the club with a lot of special talent, and I want to be a part of it and I’m excited about what we can achieve.”
Clifford continued: “I hope I can bring some leadership to the group to help the team get around the park, but I also want to have enjoy my footy and win some games!”
It’s an exciting time to be a Hull fan following the signings of Jake Trueman, Brad Dwyer, Liam Sutcliffe and Clifford’s teammate Tex Hoy.