NEW Hull FC director of rugby Richie Myler has explained why the current market isn’t conducive to making immediate signings, though the aim is there to bring in new blood.
The Black and Whites have been decimated by injuries and suspensions during Super League 2024, with head coach Tony Smith losing his job in early April.
Myler was appointed in his new role almost a fortnight ago and has quickly been started on bringing in a new head coach, though assistant Simon Grix has been eleveated to the level of interim – and could have a chance of a permanent spot as Hull’s number one.
That also doesn’t hide the fact that the Black and Whites desperately need players following the exit of Fa’amanu Brown and Tex Hoy, with Ed Chamberlain and Tom Briscoe joining from the Leigh Leopards. Myler, meanwhile, that the club is actively looking in that respect too, but a head coach takes priority.
“There’s no shying away from the fact that we need some more players on the field,” Myler told the Hull FC YouTube channel.
“Our young players are going to get too exposed if we don’t put some experience around them, but in this market, it’s not that easy. There is a semi-final coming up for four teams that don’t want to release players, loan them out, and all that kind of stuff.
“We’re not going to just jump in and bring in any player who is not the right fit. I think that’s been a fault of the previous regime—just bringing in players to fill a gap.
“Ultimately, we need to get the head coach right. Simon (Grix) is going to do a great job for us in that role, but we need to identify exactly who we want and go and get that person. That is the critical point for the club at the moment and that will then give us the direction we need.
“There’s no point in us signing a player if the head coach plays a different style. I think the most fundamental part is getting the head coach and the staff around that right, so we can build from there.
“That’s my number one priority. We clearly need to bring a couple of players in to boost the squad.”
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