HULL FC’S chief executive Richie Myler has revealed that he was “shocked” when he first took the job at the Super League club at what he has called an “alien” environment.
Myler was appointed as director of rugby midway through the 2024 Super League season and quickly set about changing things at the East Yorkshire club.
With a new ownership under Andrew Thirkill and David Hood, former Brisbane Broncos assistant John Cartwright was brought in as head coach for 2025.
It’s fair to say that Hull FC are now a club transformed with Myler explaining to Sky Sports duo Jenna Brooks and Jon Wilkin just what he set out to do as soon as he joined the Black and Whites.
“My job as CEO is to fix the environment that I came into,” Myler said on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“I came into one that has clearly been under-resourced and under-valued for three, four, maybe five years and then last year was the repercussion of that.
“I walked into an environment in which I was a bit shockedfor a club of this size, and seeing the lack of stuff that we had, and the way that training environment was, and the way that the connection with the fans was. It was alien to me from what I’ve been used to as a player.”
Myler also believes that the Black and Whites spent money in the “wrong areas” in 2024.
“We also did spend £2.5 million last year. Where? And I mean that whole-heartedly. We spent it in the wrong areas, in my opinion.
“It was spent clearly on players that came and didn’t deliver and were playing probably out of position or overhyped for where they actually were in their development.
“That ultimately annoyed people because we were spending money but we were not competing.”
Despite Myler conceding that the club is still losing money, the Black and Whites have had a major “buy-in” from fans.
This club is an enormous club in my opinion. We see that with all our revenue streams, they’re all up.
“Now, we’re still losing money, but every revenue stream is up because they’re getting the buy-in from them and it’s been tremendous, considering the season we had last year as well.”
