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The legal storm which brewed around Jake Connor’s move from Huddersfield Giants to Hull FC

One of the biggest and most shocking stories of the season has to be the return of Jake Connor to Huddersfield Giants after six seasons with Hull FC whom he joined from the Giants.

This time the move was pretty cut and dry and gives Huddersfield another star player and allowed new Hull FC boss Tony Smith to assemble a new look spine with Jake Clifford signed allowing Tex Hoy to move to fullback.

However, when Connor made the move to Hull FC there was something of a storm around his departure.

However, it started off normally with Hull FC announcing that he had signed a two-year deal in June 2016 which would begin in December 2016.

On the signing then Hull FC boss Lee Radford said: “Jake is a very talented, young English player that I’m really excited about joining us next season.

“Having spoken to him, I know he is really looking forward to lining up with one or two of his new team-mates and helping us continue our development as a club moving forward.

“He is comfortable in the outside backs and gives us some quality options as cover in the halves and at full-back.”

So, the then 21 year-old agreed a two-year contract with Hull FC in 2016 starting in 2017.

However, Huddersfield were said to be “furious” as the first they heard of the planned move was via Hull’s press release on June 18th.

Connor was due to be out of contract at the end of the 2016 season, but had been offered an improved deal by Giants who would, therefore, have been entitled to a compensation sum.

No such fee had been discussed by Hull, however, adding to the irritation felt by their rivals.

However, Connor reportedly had a change of heart. This came from the Yorkshire Post at the time who said the deal with Hull was not be legally binding so it was thought this u-turn would see him stay at Huddersfield.

Following this report, Hull FC threatened legal action saying that the contract was legally binding.

They released the following statement: “This contract is legally binding and states that the player has signed for Hull FC and will join the club from the 1st December 2016 in preparation for the new season.

“If the contract is not fulfilled for any reason then the club will have to pursue legal proceedings for breach of that contract and for the inducement of that breach.

“The club have acted properly and professionally throughout all aspects of the process, working appropriately within the tight parameters of the game’s operational rules and with close guidance from the Rugby Football League.

“Any suggestion other than this by any other party is merely speculation and false conjecture.”

Following this legal drama Connor stayed true to his word and fulfilled his deal with Hull FC in 2017 and 2018 prior to signing a number of extensions.

This saw him forced to meet Huddersfield in 2017.

“I’ve been getting some messages from Chris Thorman saying I’ve got some traffic coming my way. We’ll see tonight,” Connor said to the Hull Daily Mail at the time.

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