Jack Walker has criticised the conduct of Hull FC and the club’s director of rugby, Richie Myler, following his November release. The 25-year-old full-back departed the club nearly two months ago, despite one year still to run on his contract. He was one of three players (who were all signed ahead of 2024) to move on, with Liam Tindall and Morgan Smith following suit.
And now Walker, who played 20 times for Hull in two spells, has criticised his former employers, claiming his departure from the club has ‘left him in a bad position.’ The player states he was told that he wasn’t wanted one week into pre-season training (week commencing November 11), with the club soon confirming his release, of which a settlement payment was agreed.
That claim is despite his agent Craig Harrison appearing on the House of League Podcast back in September and declaring that it was likely that his client wouldn’t be at Hull for 2025. Harrison said at the time: “Jack is contracted at Hull next year, as is Liam—they’re both contracted. Do I think what’s happened with the youth affects them? Yes. And who they’ve brought in? Yes. Do I think Jack will be at Hull next year? Probably not.”
Hull Live were made aware of the possibility of Walker, Tindall, and Smith leaving the club last summer and exclusively reported the story at the start of November. The decision to part ways with the three players was down to both 2025’s recruitment and the emergence of the club’s young talent, with the likes of Logan Moy, Jack Charles, Harvey Barron, and Lewis Martin shining with their performances.
However, Walker has questioned Hull’s conduct in an interview with Hull Live’s sister title, The Mirror. He said he is confident he can still play Super League and is actively looking for his next club, having also featured for Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR in his career to date, which saw him win the Super League Grand Final with the former as a teenager.
“I’m definitely confident I can play Super League,” Walker stated. “I’ve always had that work-hard mentality. But it is just a tough situation. Richie Myler put me in this position. He could have told me when he came in (in April) but decided to tell me one week into pre-season. It put me in such a bad position.
“He knows what it’s like to be a player on that side of things, so I don’t understand why he’d do it like that. But it is what it is. I won’t be salty about it. Hopefully it works out in my favor—and I still back my ability.”
Walker has spent pre-season training on his own but has made stern progress with his conditioning. He has revealed he is the ‘heaviest’ he has been with a desire to put on muscle in a bid to find a club for 2025.
“It’s tough and lonely on the same treadmill at the same time in the same gym every single day,” he continued. “It’s just boring. It’s hard to describe. But it’s something I have to do, or otherwise I’ll fall behind. I need to be ready.
“I’m not at a club, so I don’t have access to strength and conditioning coaches or nutritionists. But I’ve been working with a personal trainer. It’s going really well. I’ve put on nine and a half kilos since the end of the season.
“If I get a team, I’ll be playing at 85 or 86 kilos, which is the heaviest I’ve been, and I think I needed to do that. Before, having had such a big injury, my mindset was to be as light as possible, so not much weight was going through that foot. It was a protection mindset. I’m bigger now but have still been able to do that running. I feel good.”
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