Exclusive: Matt Adamson reveals he tried to tempt two Leeds Rhinos stars to Melbourne Storm as he compares Hull FC boss to famous NRL coach

Former Leeds Rhinos man Matt Adamson loves the club but that hasn’t stopped him from trying to lure their star players over to the NRL.

Adamson has worked at a number of the top NRL clubs including the Melbourne Storm as they chased down NRL title after NRL title under Craig Bellemy.

During his spell at Melbourne he tried to tempt two of Leeds Rhinos’ star players.

Speaking exclusively to Serious About Rugby League, Adamson said: “I tried to get Kallum Watkins to Melbourne Storm and Ryan Bailey. So, I certainly had faith in those guys that they could have competed quite comfortably at that level as could Sinny and Mark Calderwood and Chev Walker.”

He also had big praise for one of his former coaches. He compared new Hull FC boss Tony Smith to Craig Bellemy, one of the best coaches in NRL history.

On this comparison he said of Smith and Bellemy: “I worked alongside Craig Bellemy at Melboure, they’re different personalities but similar in that they break the game down and that you don’t need to recreate the wheel and that you need to make sure you’re united as a group.”

Hull FC will be hoping Smith can have the same kind of success he had with Adamson and his Leeds side as well as at Warrington Wolves, Huddersfield Giants and Hull KR.