Hull FC are putting more resource into off field areas to aid on field performance.
Hull FC hopes to improve the accuracy of its future transfer decisions by investing in a new player database. The Black and Whites may scout and watch film of every player who competes in the Super League, NRL, Queensland Cup, New South Wales Cup, or Championship competitions thanks to a system that is also utilised by other Super League clubs.
The system is what the club recently purchased, and it helps players like Richie Myler, John Cartwright, Adam Pearson, and others scout possible targets and make better decisions. With its extensive archive of past games from every competition, the club may now view the past three years’ worth of matches from a transfer target.
This will give Hull a more accurate roundup of their targets, with analysts able to use the system to acquire data on the characteristics and skills of players worldwide. Recommended by leading club analyst Danny Blundell, who has previously worked at Castleford Tigers and Wigan Warriors, the system is in full operation now, allowing Myler and co. an extensive look at future recruitment targets.
Myler stated exclusively to Hull Live, “It’s enormous. Our analyst, Dan, was the one who suggested it. He mentioned having experience with this method. He explained to me what it is and how it works. We get three years’ worth of film from the NRL, Super League, NSW Cup, Queensland Cup, and Championship competitions featuring every single player in the world.
“We have access to every game and play a player has ever made, so when an agent sends me a highlight reel, I can really watch the player’s previous three games—or his last three years of games—and get a more comprehensive picture of that player. No one shares their darkest moments in a highlight reel; that’s the whole point. You send your best bits, so it just gives me and us as a club more of an educated guess of a player we’re bringing into our group.
I have a wider perspective and can see everything now. It merely eliminates the danger. After receiving highlight reels, you choose a player you believe has enormous potential. When he plays a game and you post about him on social media, everyone asks, “Why the hell have you signed that person?” This restricts that, but perfection is unattainable. There wouldn’t be any jobs if you just bought a system and took numbers from everyone. However, that system will be beneficial.
Myler will also rely on Cartwright, who will join the team as their new head coach this autumn, in addition to using a variety of tools to make recruitment calls as well as further contacts he made during his 400-game professional career. Hull plans to make additional investments in their backroom personnel elsewhere. The club is going to increase its resources by hiring a new physiotherapist, and Myler is exploring all possible ways to boost output across the board.
We’ll use the system to make decisions, but it won’t be our sole tool, Myler continued. “A video does not show you a player’s personality off the pitch, his personal life, or his activities outside of rugby. Even though we are limited to seeing those eighty-minute performances, they provide us with a more accurate assessment of a player than highlight reels, scouting trips, or asking former teammates for their opinions.
I’m free to express my thoughts about a player, and the team and club can decide whether or not to approve of the video. It’s excellent. It merely deepens our comprehension. It reduces the danger.
