Gareth Ellis to play on in 2020, while Hull sign back rower

Hull FC stalwart Gareth Ellis has announced he will continue to play for the club in 2020, while the club have also announced the signing of back rower Joe Cator from Leigh.

38-year-old Ellis hung his boots up at the end of 2017 but came out of retirement this season to help end the Black and Whites’ 13-game losing run.

He was expected to retire again at the end of this year but has revealed he will continue to line up for Lee Radford’s side in 2020, signing a one-year contract extension.

“After my initial comeback early in 2019, I didn’t expect to be in and around the squad for the rest of the season. I thought it would just be a bit of a final swansong for me,” Ellis told the Hull FC website.

“But I had that taste and it made me realise that I was still enjoying playing and that turned into me playing 20 games which is pretty much a full season for me.

“It was probably about 10 or 15 games into the season when people began asking me the question are to whether I thought I could go around again in 2020. And with how I was feeling, I was pretty sure I was able to do so.”

Meanwhile, Cator becomes Hull’s seventh new signing for 2020, following Mahe Fonua, Manu Ma’u, Ligi Sao, Adam Swift, Josh Jones and Jordan Johnstone to the KCOM Stadium.

The 21-year-old started his career with FC’s cross-city rivals Hull KR, before moving to the Centurions at the start of 2019.

He was a standout performer in the Championship and will now get a second opportunity to make his mark in Super League.

“I’m absolutely buzzing to be a Hull FC player; I feel like its been a long-time coming having been a supporter since I was a kid,” he told the Hull FC website. “It’s a massive opportunity for me over the next two-years.

“I was in a good position at the end of the season so I was lucky enough to have a few options in Super League but as soon as Hull came calling, my hometown and boyhood club, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”