Hull FC have never been afraid to talk the talk. But following that talk up with action has been the challenge. Step in, Andrew Thirkill.

Meeting club partners, sponsors, the entire first-team squad, and the media at a formal dinner event on Tuesday night, Hull's new commander and chief cut a composed figure. There was a refreshing honesty: a clear acceptance of the situation, the road that lies ahead, and the hard work needed to turn dreams into reality.

There were no big promises and no 'We're going to do this and that,' but more a realisation that every member of staff in every single department needs to knuckle down together. There was a reality shared about where the club was at, both in terms of its rugby department and also financially.

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And while Hull's need for investment last year was laid bare, the financial situation saw more upheaval at play. We all know the Covid period hit the club hard, but just how tight things got was certainly heading to more nervy territory.

But now, thanks to the club's new co-owners, with David Hood, long-term business partner of Thirkill, joining the organisation, Hull are on a sound financial footing. The duo are worth in the region of £500 million. They have already invested big sums into the club and will take nothing out of it for at least three years, instead putting all revenue streams into strengthening the playing squads.

Hull's new takeover puts the club back on an even keel with Super League's big guns. They can spend, and they will, not just on players, but on their training facilities at the University of Hull, their academy setup, their other teams across many disciplines of rugby league, and their entire operation.

But once again, there was an acceptance that it's far from a case of waving a chequebook, flicking a switch, and getting instant results. Thirkill was realistic; he knows it may take years to get to where the club desires to be, but that's fine; he's in for the long haul. This is a passionate rugby league man, one who can recite tales from decades gone by of Hull's glory days of the early 1980s, famous Great Britain clashes, and Super League Grand Finals. His love for the sport is clear to see.

Thirkill is an owner who gets it. He gets what stance the club wants to be in its community and why. He understands the passion, the pride, of what Hull FC should stand for, for its players, both old and new, partners, and supporters. That passion is channelled down to CEO Richie Myler, head coach John Cartwright, and the players, who will base their game on effort, spirit, and grit this year, and in doing so, put pride back into the club.

Looking to move forward, Hull has often been referred to as the sleeping giant, and it's not hard to see why. They boast one of the biggest fan bases in Super League and play at one of its finest stadiums. Its merchandise sales are strong, and its sponsors and commercial partners are the biggest it's ever had, but off the field, they have flattered to deceive.

In fact, over a four-year cycle, it's gotten worse and worse, finishing eighth, ninth, tenth, and most recently eleventh in the last four seasons. It's been easy to blame poor recruitment and retention for that slide, two big contributing factors, with money spent in the wrong areas and on huge signings that just didn't work out. The club just got so many rugby decisions wrong—they chopped and changed their head coach but had no identity on what a Hull FC player should look like or should stand for.

That's why former chairman Adam Pearson sounded out Thirkill last year, with Myler, a close family connection, coming on board. Hull needed a rugby league man to get rugby league decisions right, prioritising what the club needs now as it nurtures its promising young players: experience. The hope is they have got that now, with Thirkill also praising Pearson for his contribution to the club, in particular for fronting its financial burdens on his own for 13 years.

That showed Thirkill's class, with confirmation that Pearson will be a consultant to Hull's new owners this season, which begins with Challenge Cup action against York Acorn on Saturday. He will be welcome at games, and he will help the club move into its new era.

But again, on a night hosted by former Hull winger and Sky Sports host Brian Carney, the overall message was clear: it's one of hard work, but the club's passion on the year of its 160th birthday is strong. There's drive, there's ambition, but there's also reality. This is a thorough long-term rebuild, and it's only just beginning.