Hull FC's long search for a scrum-half ended today when they completed the signing of Australian Jacob Miller on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The Black and Whites tried to sign the 20-year-old Wests Tigers player before the season started to enable him to line up alongside major signings Gareth Ellis and Daniel Holdsworth but the NRL club insisted he remained part of their plans under new coach Mick Potter.
Miller recently lost his place in the Tigers team, however, and he was today released by the club.
It's a timely acquisition for us in a position we have been looking to cover for some time now.
"Jacob is a player that has all the attributes to be a quality half-back and we feel can really benefit our side, as well as improving his own game."
Hull FC’s quest to recruit a new scrum half has ended with the capture of highly regarded Australian youngster Jacob Miller from Wests Tigers. The 20 year old has been signed on a two and a half year deal, and will head to the UK as soon as he receives the necessary visa clearance.
It's been announced that a party will be held tomorrow evening at the KC stadium to celebrate Hull City's promotion to the Premier League.
The club's owners, The Allams, turned down an offer from the council to hold a celebration in the city centre. It is a ticket-only event starting at 7.30 with the turnstiles open an hour before.
Ex-Hull FC half-back upsets York after quitting club
Former Hull FC half-back Danny Nicklas has upset York after quitting the Championship club to sign for Hull KR. The 21-year-old joined the City Knights a week ago after being released by the Black and Whites and played in Sunday's 52-4 defeat by Leigh.
In a statement, York said: "We would like to thank Danny for his efforts and wish him well in his future career." However, coach Gary Thornton says he was shocked by the move. "I'm really disappointed with how it's transpired," Thornton told the York Evening Press.
England forward Gareth Ellis will make his long-awaited debut for Hull in Friday's Super League match against London Broncos at the KC Stadium, coach Peter Gentle has confirmed.
The 32-year-old former Leeds and Wests Tigers back-row forward was the club'smajor close-season signing after ending his four-year spell in the RNL and wasappointed by Gentle as his new captain for 2013.
However, he fractured a bone in his foot before the opening match of Super League at Leeds back in February and only resumed full training 10 days ago.
Hull hooker or half-back Aaron Heremaia has signed a new contract that will keep him at the KC Stadium until the end of 2014.
The 30-year-old joined Hull on a two-year deal from New Zealand Warriors at the start of the 2012 season and has now agreed a 12-month extension.
Hull director of rugby Shaun McRae said: "Aaron is a good person to have around the club.
"His attitude is first class, he is very professional on and off the field and he fits perfectly in with the culture we have worked hard to create here at Hull FC."
Hull FC's Adam Pearson: I'm not involved in a Leeds takeover bid
The owner of Hull FC Rugby League club, Adam Pearson, has quashed speculation he is involved with a new takeover bid for Leeds United.
Pearson, who was a former commercial director at Elland Road, as well as Chairman of Hull City, has told the Hull FC website that his focus is solely on the Black and Whites, and he's not interested in a return to football.
“It’s a funny one because Hull FC is mine. I own the club, it’s my baby and I want to grow and develop it. Football is my business and I’ll always get rumours and connections in football as that’s my industry.“Leeds is a club that I live close to and I’ve worked there before so I understand how big a club it is but at this minute in time, it’s not for me. My focus is completely on Hull FC and my other business interests.
“There’ll be no movement to Elland Road in the near future. This is my complete focus and so I’d like to squash those rumours once and for all. I’ve not made a single comment in the press about it and all my focus and financial backing is on this club.”Pearson continued, “I’m incredibly passionate about the club. Watching the team and the commitment and effort they put in, and the supporters are so passionate about the club, you can’t help but reach those levels of passion yourself.
“Certainly I won’t be leaving FC until there’s some silverware and we’re established as a top Super League club. I want to win something and try to get into that top four.“There are some really strong clubs who all want to do the same thing, with some good owners and some good coaches. We’ll just keep battling away but it won’t be a lack of effort or a lack of commitment if we don’t reach those goals. We are going to be going all out to make sure we succeed here.”
Officials of Hul FC and the Rugby Football League claimed they had no alternative but to call off last night's Super League game with Bradford after motorway chaos left the home side short of players.
An accident on the M62 initially delayed the Bulls coach and despite having to detour on the A19 they were able to reach the ground half an hour before kick off.
But with nine Hull players, who were travelling from their homes in West Yorkshire, unable to make it to the ground before the latest allowed kick off time of 9.15, it was decided to move the game to a 3pm start on Sunday.
"The match had to be postponed. The reason is that there had been a serious collision on the M62. The accident involved an oil tanker that contained an unknown substance and that is why the police had to shut the M62. It did affect the Bradford team coach and they were stuck for over an hour. Unfortuntely we have nine players that live in West Yorkshire and they were travelling across. It was a number that affected whether we could field a team or not."
– James Clark, Spokesman for Hull FC
"We tried everything humanly possible but when players are struck unfortunately we couldn't accomodate that."
– Dave Asquith, RFL's match commissioner
"Fifteen years I have been involved with Bradford Bulls and I have never had to divert off the motorway on the way to a game. Fortunately we were before the A19 (exit and could divert). Realistically eight or nine of their players were not going to be here before 9.15pm which is the latest time the game could have kicked off. It's better for everybody concerned that the game is played on Sunday and we will travel across on Sunday morning.
Tonight's Super League match between Hull and the Bradford Bulls at the KC Stadium has been postponed following the closure of the M62.
The match will now be played at 3pm on Sunday after some of the Hull players were still attempting to arrive at the stadium after the scheduled kick-off.
The Bradford team coach had earlier been caught up in the congestion, caused by an over-turned tanker between junctions 34 and 35, but had arrived at the stadium with just 30 minutes to spare before the 8p kick-off.
Following the traffic chaos, which had also slowed Bradford fans heading east along the M62, the game was initially delayed until 9.15pm. But after further problems the Rugby Football League announced the game would be delayed until Sunday.
Hull FC says scans have showed the foot injury sustained by new signing Gareth Ellis is not as bad as first feared, although he is facing a spell on the sidelines.
The England back rower, who was appointed as the Black and Whites' captain after joining them on a three-year contract from Wests Tigers, injured his foot during the warm-up for last night's Super League opener at Leeds.
The injury rekindled memories of the fractured foot that kept the 31-year-old former Wakefield and Leeds favourite out for three months last season but Hull say it is not a re-occurrence of the same injury.
Ellis will visit a specialist early next week before an accurate assessment of the extent of his injury can be confirmed and how long he'll be out of action,"
