SKY SPORTS pundit Jon Wilkin has clarified comments that he made about Richie Myler’s appointment as director of rugby at Hull FC as ‘weird’.
Wilkin previously stated: “They’ve taken Richie Myler, who’s just dropped straight out of his professional career into this.
“It just felt like a weird appointment, but that being said, he’s got the confidence of a thousand men. He’s self-assured and confident, so I’m sure he’ll give it a great crack.”
Before Leeds Rhinos’ Super League clash against Huddersfield Giants on Friday night, Wilkin clarified those comments.
“I didn’t realise Richie Myler had the appetite to go into that type of job,” Wilkin said.
“It’s weird from a public sense to come out of the blue who is naive with that job role and is now being tasked with the big job of turning Hull FC round.
“Hull FC need a full root to branch change and it’s not been working there. It’s not been working since Lee Radford and the Challenge Cup days. The task ahead of him his huge.”
With Myler’s partner’s father and president of Leeds Rhinos, Andrew Thirkill, rumoured to be interested in investing in Hull, Wilkin was asked whether Myler’s move would then make more sense.
“It paints the picture a bit more when you describe the family investment that is maybe coming with Richie coming in with a job off the back of it.
“Family businesses work like that, businesses around the world appoint people they trust and that happens to be family sometimes and that’s the way the world works.
“There’s a real disconnect between the fanbase and the club. There is an atmosphere there that is vitriolic and negative and he’s got to address that and turn it into a positive.
“But that only comes from the work on the field and the results. They’ve got to get back to winning ways and win silverware before 2027.”
Click here to purchase a digital edition of League Express.
Click here to purchase an online edition of League Express through pocketmags.com.
Click here to listen to our new League Express Podcast.
League Express is widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
