Ellis “got an offer from every Super League club” reveals agent

Hull FC forward Gareth Ellis “got an offer from every Super League club” when he returned to Super League from Australia, his agent has revealed.

The 38-year-old signed a new one-year contract with the club last week after coming out of retirement midway through 2019, and will begin his 20th season as a professional player next year.

One of his career highlights was a four-year stint in Australia with NRL club Wests Tigers, where he won the club’s Player of the Year award in three consecutive seasons.

He subsequently joined Hull in 2013, however his agent has told Serious About RL that it could have been a much different story.

“Gareth did a wonderful job out there but when he wanted to come home, we actually got an offer from every Super League club,” said David Howes, Managing Director of Howes Etc.

“Two thirds of them we immediately discounted, but then again it would have been so easy for Gareth to take the easy option and go back to Leeds – and Leeds came in all singing, all dancing.

“St Helens were the top offer. Wigan came in, Warrington came in but I was pushing him towards Hull because I knew Adam Pearson and I knew his ambitions to really bring the club alive.

“The big challenge I gave Hull was that they had to pay the going rate, which was top money, but equally important was that if he joined them he would be made captain.

“They did that, he became the main man in their revitalisation programme, and went on to become their first captain to lift the Challenge Cup at Wembley, and did it back to back.

“And he’s now a modern-day legend at the club.”