Leigh Leopards star makes transfer admission as he opens up on Hull FC exit

At the start of 2024, Darnell McIntosh didn’t envision he’d be doing a six-hour round trip to work every day while not being in the team when the weekend came around, all while his partner was heavily pregnant at home. That though turned out to be reality for almost three months.

The 27-year-old had been with Hull FC since 2022, and started each of their first nine games this season – including a 58-0 defeat at St Helens on April 19.

Just four days later, the Black and Whites had decided to do a swap deal with Leigh which saw Tom Briscoe head the other way, and McIntosh’s life was turned upside down, both on and off the field.

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‘It was something that I wanted and I just had to stick at it’

The West Yorkshire native had been off-contract at FC anyway, so may well have been searching for a new club come the end of the season regardless.

But a move which came about in a matter of days forced him to drive almost the full length of the M62 on a daily basis – not exactly a pleasant journey.

Speaking to Love Rugby League, McIntosh detailed: “That was one of the main struggles around it. I was really happy rugby wise to join Leigh, but it was just the living situation side of things.

“For 10 weeks, I was driving and some days it was three hours there and then three hours back because I’d hit traffic going both ways.

“That was a bit challenging, and my partner is well on her way pregnancy wise too, so it was just one of those things – what are you going to do? It was something that I wanted and I just had to stick at it.

“We’ve come through it now though and we’re all back in Huddersfield. All of our family’s in Huddersfield, that’s where I’m from and it’s a really short journey for me now. It can take me 35 minutes if there’s no traffic.

That’s us now as a family, we’re settled. We’ll finish off the season, have my little girl and then hopefully get all of the kicking and screaming out the way pretty early… it just might be a tired pre-season next year!”

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‘I don’t think there’s any player in the competition that doesn’t want to be playing regularly’

Leigh handed McIntosh a two-and-a-half year deal until the end of the 2026 season, emphasising how valuable they perceived his acquisition to be – wanted long-term.

But not until July 13 did he start a game for Adrian Lam’s Leopards, featuring twice off the bench before that and occupying the unused 18th man role on four occasions.

The versatile back said: “It’s always difficult, I don’t think there’s any player in the competition that doesn’t want to be playing regularly.

“But with the culture we have at Leigh, Lammy was speaking to me none stop throughout that period about what he knew I could bring to the team and sometimes, it’s just how it happens.

“The team hit some form just as I got into the group and for me, I’d rather come into a team that’s winning with a bit of momentum.

“I just had to bide my time, but that gave me more time to work on myself, get settled and work on my growth.

“I was up to speed then when I came in.”

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‘I’m glad I did it in hindsight now… I’m playing some good rugby and the team is in a good position’

And up to speed he was, scoring tries in each of his first three starts as the Leopards beat hometown club Huddersfield Giants, London Broncos and St Helens respectively – all at the Leigh Sports Village.

McIntosh has now started seven games, tasting defeat in just one of those. Leigh’s Magic Weekend victory against Salford Red Devils saw them move to within three competition points of the play-off spots they’ve been hunting down for months.

When agreeing to join Leigh, the ex-Oldham loanee always knew he could re-find this sort of form, and says the move has been beneficial in the long run.

He added: “I was fully committed to what I was involved in when I was at Hull, but I think in professional sport, nothing’s a guarantee and the opportunity came about, so I just had to go with it.

“I thought it would work out for the best for me, and I’m glad I did it in hindsight now. I’m playing some good rugby and the team is in a good position.

“I saw Leigh as somewhere I could come and focus on myself to build week on week. I knew that once I did that and found out what my job was, I could add to the team.

“That’s what’s happened so far, and there’s still a lot more growth potential here, both for me and the team.

“Hopefully I can keep that going for the rest of this season and for the years to come while I’m still at Leigh, then I can properly look back on it and say it was a good decision.”

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