Ex-Hull FC man Frank Pritchard makes big move after overcoming coma

When former Hull FC and NRL star Frank ‘The Tank’ Pritchard was placed in an induced coma at the beginning of January following complications with asthma after contracting COVID-19, the rugby league world looked on in horror.

Pritchard was then released and has been able to do his rehab work at home in a long road back to full health.

‘Frank the Tank’ made 26 appearances for the Black and Whites of Hull in 2016, scoring five tries, but his lasting impact has been felt around the MKM Stadium for years to come.

And, it’s now been revealed that he will be joining Matt Parish on the Samoa coaching staff ahead of the World Cup at the end of the year.

“One of the critical parts of preparing teams, particularly representative teams, is providing the best environment for them to be successful,” Parish said.

“Toa Samoa has an incredibly strong and talented playing squad.

“The high-performance environment and culture we create for the players will, at a minimum, replicate what the players are used to at club level, and we will work with the NRL, the clubs and RLWC2021 to ensure our players have all they need to prepare themselves.

“Our focus is ensuring we look after the players both from a physical performance perspective, and a cultural and wellbeing perspective. Our staff are all focussed on this and will work together with the players to build a successful campaign both on and off the field.”