Luke Gale after fresh start at Hull FC

Hull FC scrum half Luke Gale has said he wants a fresh start after a “nightmare year” at Leeds Rhinos.

A torn pectoral muscle at the start of the season saw him miss a large chunk of pre-season. An MCL injury then ruled him out for the final seven games.

He was also stripped of the captaincy at the Rhinos following a disagreement with Head Coach Richard Agar in July. He was named ahead of the 2021 season following the retirement of Stevie Ward.

The club had also moved to sign halfbacks Aidan Sezer from Huddersfield Giants and Blake Austin from Warrington Wolves ahead of the 2022 season.

Gale felt as though he had to move on in order to improve his game.

“There’s no secret that me and the coach had a fall out,” Gale told a press conference in Hull.

“They’d signed Sezer and Austin who are two great players but I wanted to be somewhere where I felt I could kick on. It happened quickly but when it happened, it was perfect for me.

“Last year was a tough year, it was one of the toughest years I’ve had. From tearing my pec in pre-season to a couple of niggling injuries and then doing my MCL, it was a nightmare year.

“I didn’t enjoy it one bit, I wanted to start afresh and I thought this would be right for me and my family. It just happened naturally. It’s a good fit and I’m happy to take the move on.”

Gale planning for the future at Hull

The England international has also began a mentoring role with the club’s young halfbacks.

He will work with former Castleford Tigers teammate Michael Shenton, who is the Head of Emerging Talent at the Black and Whites.

Gale added:“I’ve spoken to Brett about helping some of the younger guys or doing some mentoring. That’s for further down the line but I want to start implementing that now.

“There’s things in place, it is an option if it suits both parties. It’s something I’m passionate about that. I think I could give a bit back to the game.”

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