RICHIE MYLER is finding that he is having to transition quickly from being a player to being a director of rugby with his new club Hull FC.
With Hull having handed London Broncos their first Super League victory, 34-18 at the Cherry Red Records Stadium on Sunday, the stark situation the club finds itself in has become even more apparent.
Myler’s most immediate objective is to appoint a new coach to take over from the recently departed Tony Smith. Does that mean he’s feeling the pressure?
“No, not at all. I’m loving it,” says Myler.
“I’ve played 18 years in the pressure cooker where you are judged constantly. Everyone has an opinion on how you should and shouldn’t do your job.
“I was told I wasn’t good enough many times on a rugby field.
“The beauty is that I have a lot of talented people around me, as I had when I played. They are very skilled at their jobs and they know what it takes to run a rugby club. It’s not my job to run a rugby club; it’s my job to get the best out of the people around me and I think I did a pretty good job for 18 years doing that. That’s the view I’ve taken on this role.
“I love Rugby League and I love being part of a team. That to me, is my role, to get the best out of everyone else.”
Myler has arrived at the MKM Stadium at a time when several of last season’s players who have recently departed from the club – Adam Swift, Tex Hoy, Chris Satae and Ben McNamara – seem to be playing well for their new clubs.
Is he frustrated to see those players playing well elsewhere?
“I think the point is valid and I could make the same argument for Leeds who are probably better than what they are showing at the moment,” admits Myler.
“One of my first conversations was with Danny Houghton and he said that players are happy to come to us as a club and then leave. We are almost like a passing-by club. I know that hurts a lot of people.
“I need somebody in this place who knows what it means to play for Hull and understands why you would want to be here.
“We don’t want people who are happy to be here for a year or two and then move on to other clubs. Hull needs more respect than that.”
Jack Brown has joined the exodus, in his case to Hull KR, while Jayden Okunbor, a close-season recruit from the NRL, has gone to Bradford Bulls on a two-week loan. So will there be any other players leaving in the near future?
“We have twelve players off contract,” says Myler.
“If some of those players can get a better position elsewhere then we can make a change to our group. Quite clearly we haven’t played well for the last five or six years. Clearly some of those players have been caught up in the way we have been playing and may perform better at other clubs. You see in Super League that a player can be a world beater at some clubs but not at others.
“But players coming here are going to have to work hard and, if they do, there could be some success here. We need to go through a period of time finding out who those players are.”
One of the problems for Myler and his colleagues is that their nearest rivals, Hull KR, have become the standard bearers for the city of Hull. How much pressure does that put Hull FC under?
“They recruited players who could take them to the next level and rebuild the club,” says Myler.
“Now they are starting to throw some money at big-name players.
“Success is defined as competing at a high level for a long period of time. In the 80s there was a Hull dominance in the sport. If we can replicate that, it would be good and there will always be a rivalry with Hull KR. Our recruitment hasn’t been what it should be and that’s why I’ve been appointed to this role. When you know it’s not working, you have to change something.”
Meanwhile the search for a new coach goes on and the latest experienced coach who might be available is Jason Demetriou, who has recently departed the NRL’s South Sydney Rabbitohs. Is he a potential option?
“Every manager and agent has been on the phone. Hull FC is a great opportunity for any aspiring coach to come and manage. I haven’t spoken to Jason directly or his management, but if he would be interested, it’s not hard to be in contact.
“There’s been a lot of speculation and the Hull FC job is one that any coach would want to do.”
First published in League Express newspaper, Issue 3,430 (May 13, 2024)
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