Richie Myler weighs in on Hull FC takeover and makes key Andrew Thirkill point

Richie Myler has labeled Hull FC's incoming takeover as 'vital' for the club to move forward with their 'business knowledge' set to take the club to the next level. The Black and Whites are set to be boosted by the ownership of Andrew Thirkill and David Hood, with the duo this month entering a period of exclusivity with current chairman Adam Pearson to purchase the club.

That will see a significant cash injection pumped into the organisation, with both businessmen worth a combined total of £500 million. Such finance is set to give all a boost, with the club struggling to make ends meet since the coronavirus pandemic.

That has coincided with a spiral down the Super League table, with Hull, who have been without a play-off finish since 2020, dropping as low as 11th this season. But now there is optimism at better fortunes, with significant change made in the playing roster with a sequence of experienced signings.

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Meanwhile, Myler, who has been behind that change, now believes the investment in the club is the crown jewel as they look to become a competitive force once again. Speaking exclusively to Hull Live, he said: "It's vital to how we move forward, but it also shows strength; that's the biggest thing that I'm getting from it.

"If you know that you've got a powerful board of two very successful businessmen where anything they have both touched in their lives has been a success, then it bodes well. Now, how long that success takes to happen is due to the people that are involved; that's reality. You're in a sport where you can win just as much as you can lose; every other club is competing to be the best, but from a business sense, and for our club to have those two individuals as part of the team is huge for us.

"I know a lot has been said about the net worth of the two, but it's not about that; it's the business-savvy knowledge and their understanding of how to run a good business and being good businessmen, and to me, that is the exciting thing; the potential of what Hull is and the potential of the business and what it can achieve; it all directly impacts the rugby club.

"Andrew said to me the other day. It's a collective, so everything that is made on the club goes into the club and goes directly into the playing team over the next three years. It's all about making the team better, so for someone in my role, it's a dream really."

Both members of the new Hull FC consortium have already declared that they won't be taking any money out of the club for the first three years, with the capital offered to ensure the Airlie Birds have what they need in all performance departments to climb the table again. For Myler, that comes as no surprise, with Thrkill a 'passionate' rugby league man.

Hailing from Leeds, he is a lifelong fan of Leeds Rhinos, but also of the sport, with his decision to invest in Hull FC based on getting some 'skin' at the club and making things happen.

Myler, who is excited by the 'potential' of Hull FC, continued: "Andrew will tell you he doesn't know much about rugby league, but then he can recite any single game that's ever happened. His rugby knowledge is unbelivable. He's a true fan of rugby league.

"He's been a Leeds Rhinos for all of his life; he went with his dad to the games, but he openly said himself, he didn't have any skin in the game; he was president of Leeds Rhinos, but it was very much an honory role.

"He loved doing it, and he enjoyed the success at Leeds, but he has openly said he didn't have any skin at the club and he couldn't impact any real change, and that's why this project at Hull FC is exciting for him. He's looking forward to helping get the club back to the position it wants to be in.

"He's a very successful businessman, and he's got a lot going on, but rugby league is his passion. I've talked a lot about Hull to him over the last six months, and I told him how excited I am by the potential of the club and everything I've seen up close and personal with the fan base and the connection it has with the community, but it's exciting."

Despite the club being set to be a significantly richer entity, Myler is also very cautious to build things at Hull FC with substance and on a solid foundation. He added: "If you get this club on the right track, then there is a lot of potential here. Ultimately, we want to win rugby league games and walk out at Wembley and walk out at Old Trafford. That is the dream. That is something to be excited about. However, we have an understanding that is very hard to do, but equally, you have to have the right tools to be able to do that.

"You either just have an endless pot of money that you throw at something, and you're not bothered about building anything, or you put the right investment in the right places and build a club that everyone is proud of. That, to me, is more the exciting part.

"We want to build something here that the fans can be proud of and the community can be proud of. We want the people who work here to be proud as well; that's the biggest change that we're trying to implement."

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