Hull FC: Peter Gentle heads to Australia for player talks
HULL FC coach Peter Gentle will fly back to Australia next week to hold talks with the club's top half-back target.
The trip will also see Gentle meet with former Hull KR full-back Shannon McDonnell to finalise details over his recruitment for next season.
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Peter Gentle will meet with Shannon McDonnell and other targets.
Gentle told the Mail he had intended to stay in the UK throughout the off-season and prepare his plans for 2013.
However, with the club believing it now has the chance to sign the top-quality half back it desires, he has chosen to fly home for face-to-face talks.
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Having missed out on the bid to sign Castleford star Rangi Chase, Gentle told the Mail he is determined to add the "final piece of the puzzle" to his side, and has therefore chosen to handle the matter personally.
Gentle also confirmed he'll meet with McDonnell and his father, who acts as his agent, as they bid to get a long talked-about contract signed for the former Rovers full-back.
It is the deal for a new half-back, however, which will no doubt grab the most attention.
Gold Coast Titans captain and scrum-half Scott Prince has been rumoured to be on Hull's shopping list, as is Wests Tigers' bright young half Jacob Miller.
Unwilling to divulge names, Gentle did admit he has two options, but is confident of securing his top target.
"The half-back is the final piece of the puzzle for us and to get it over the line I feel like I need to sit in the room and talk to the player face to face," Gentle told the Mail.
"It looks very promising and I think we can get it over the line, but it is important to go there to meet the player. We need to sit down and talk.
"There are still a couple of options for us, we have two players we are talking to and I'm going there to get one over the line."
Gentle is eager to reshape Hull's style of rugby for next season, and having added pace to his outside backs already in Joe Arundel and Jason Crookes, he's looking for a more natural scrum-half to operate alongside fellow new recruit Daniel Holdsworth.
"We are looking at a proper number seven, someone who can play the style of rugby I want us to have," added Gentle.
"It's been a tough search because I think it has shown there is a lack of number sevens out there."
The arrival of a new half-back will take Hull's contingent to five, with Richard Horne, Brett Seymour and Danny Nicklas also at the club.
Seymour came in for criticism last season and the arrival of a new half could pave the way for his exit.
Gentle said his fellow Aussie is not being ousted to make way for a new arrival, and is still at the club. Joining the new scrum-half will be a new full-back in McDonnell.
The ex-Hull KR man has been linked with Hull for months now, with the club today again stressing a deal is still to be signed.
Set to meet with the player for further talks, it appears to remain a formality now before McDonnell is confirmed as a Hull player.
"Shannon is at a loose end so I'm going to sit with him and his father while I'm over there," added Gentle.
"He went back to Australia because he had some options, it looks like we may be able to get a deal done now though."
• UPDATE: Prince set for Hull move
Comments
by SlammerDyke
Thursday, October 18 2012, 11:25AM
“Can some one tell me why auntie Slammer feels the need to lie in every post she makes ?
Yesterday she stated that Penrith were subsidising the talentless thug,Travis Burns,salary,when found out to be lying she later changed this statement saying that Burns had received a payout from Penrith for leaving!!!!
No club gives a payout to a player who is leaving to join another club even though I suspect Penrith were glad to get rid of him.
Later on yesterday she claimed that Shannon McDonnell had bought a house from Joel Clinton !!!!!Players coming from Australia on a two or three year contract don't buy their own houses,the club they are joining rents a property for them whist they are here.
I can only assume that auntie Slammer is so insecure that she craves attention by pretending to have inside information which makes her feel more important than the insignificant little old benefit scrounging queen that she is.LOL”
by TheEarlyBath
Thursday, October 18 2012, 7:30AM
“And Prince is on contract until 2014 it says on the Internet, asinsaid I would be happy with either, would have preferred UK half back but there aren't any so it is good planning to have options”
by FC_ON_THE_UP
Thursday, October 18 2012, 6:42AM
“030580hkr, proper rugby debate for once, your talents are endless.”
by fc_barmy_army
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 11:34PM
“early bath....jacob miller is out of contract at wests”
by TheEarlyBath
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 10:51PM
“That is my point Prince could be another Long, thought I wrote that but forgot to finish my sentence, he was world class but so was Long
Miller played 7 for the junior kangaroos this year against the Kiwis, suggests he is a genuine scrum half, personally don't think wests would release him maybe on loan but not permanently
I'd actually be happy with either”
by 03_05_80_HKR
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 10:37PM
“Seems a strange argument for a fan of a team who signed Sean Long at 33......
You cannot beat class...Scotty Prince is World class......
Jacob Miller may be the same as Dobbo and Green....a Toyota cup player in Oz but a very good SL player...then again, he may not....
Your Coach is looking for "real No7"...Prince is, Miller isn't...”
by TheEarlyBath
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 10:26PM
“Or 32 yr old who is coming towards the end of his career Vs 20 yr old ex aus schoolboy who has a career in front of him and could be desperate to prove himself
Anyone heard of ex aus school boy Dobson when he signed as a 20yr old for cats having never played in the NRL? If prince plays like he did in 2010 then you would snap him up if possible but he could be
It's a judgement call and a risk either way, as I said I would take a chance on miller I think he would be a better prospect for 3 yrs”
by 03_05_80_HKR
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 10:09PM
“It would be a no-brainer.....
Scott Prince......Getting on for 300 NRL games.....4 caps for the Aussies...and 5 State of Origin caps....
Or a young kid who played one NRL game in 2012.......
I thought Gentle and Pearson wanted World class.....
BELI3VE........”
by TheEarlyBath
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 9:47PM
“What this shows is the paucity of SL, there aren't many English half backs that are any good which is why chase is playing for England and also why we are useless at international level. Personally I would go for Jacob, probably less money and hungrier than Prince and while he can be inconsistent in the NRl he could be another Dobson I.e. not quite good enough for NRL but a very good SL player due to the lower standard of our league
Fingers crossed for some RL debate and not my dads bigger than yours drivel”
by westhullred
Wednesday, October 17 2012, 8:36PM
“i notice that minstergate are now hireing trucks out....there a lot bigger than what i thought!!!
data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBhISERUUEhQVFRUWGBcYGBcXGBgcGBocGBgYGBgaGB”