Super League: Where now for Hull FC after Lee Radford's sacking?
Friday 13 March 2020 13:10, UK
Lee Radford’s reign as Hull FC head coach came to an end on Thursday evening immediately following the 38-4 defeat at home to Warrington Wolves.
The announcement was made live on Sky Sports at the conclusion of the match by Black and Whites chairman Adam Pearson, ending a seven-season spell in charge for the 40-year-old.
Here, we take a look at the decision to sack Radford, who could take over and what comes next for both him and the club…
Why was the decision taken now?
Hull began the 2020 Super League season in impressive fashion, overrunning Leeds Rhinos 30-4 on the opening weekend and following that up with a 25-16 victory over bitter rivals Hull Kingston Rovers in the derby clash.
But the defeat to Warrington meant the Black and Whites had won just one of five matches since the win against Rovers - that coming in last week's golden point extra-time triumph away to Wakefield Trinity.
Pearson had stuck by Radford after missing out on the play-offs on points difference in 2019, which included the club suffering their heaviest-ever home defeat at the hands of the Wolves when they were beaten 63-12.
The owner backed his coach in terms of recruitment over the winter as well, bringing in seven new players with a particular focus on strengthening the pack.
Even so, the timing and manner of Radford's sacking took many by surprise and was greeted with a mixed reaction, although Sky Sports rugby league expert Phil Clarke understood why Pearson had decided to part company with the long-serving head coach.
"In many ways, you admire that loyalty," Clarke said. "He's trying to give the supporters confidence that he's put into Lee Radford as much as he possibly could.
"You could never say he undermined him, he publicly supported him at times, but that performance was probably not good enough for him.
"At this stage of the season, you'd probably think they've still got enough of the season left to try to push into that top five."
Former Hull FC head coach Richard Agar, who was in the studio as a guest pundit with Clarke and Brian Carney for the match at the KCOM Stadium, agreed the manner of Radford's departure was unusual.
The 48-year-old had found himself in the same situation in 2011 as well when he departed the club, but admitted he was expecting that decision to be made whereas this one was likely to have come as more of a surprise to Radford.
"Some of the games and performances we've talked about, he would probably understand that six years in and after some quality recruitment as well they've not had the start," Agar said. "On this occasion it's a really tough one and the circumstances are highly unusual.
"Adam Pearson let me go as a coach, but I knew my time was up and I completely understood the decision to move me on at that particular time."
Radford's legacy at Hull
Radford's connection to Hull FC goes beyond his time as head coach, having spent two spells at the club as a player and then served as an assistant coach before stepping up to replace Peter Gentle following the conclusion of the 2013 season.
His second spell saw the forward reach the 2006 Super League Grand Final and 2008 Challenge Cup final with his hometown club, but although he ended on the losing side in both of those games he would later claim silverware as a head coach.
Radford steered Hull to their first Challenge Cup triumph for 11 years in 2016 when they edged out Warrington 12-10, ending their so-called 'Wembley curse' in the process, and followed that up by defending the trophy the following year as they defeated Wigan Warriors 2018.
In total, Radford won 101 of the 202 games he was in charge of the club for and many would argue he deserved more time after shaky start to the season, but Clarke tried to balance that with the decisions chairman Pearson has to make.
"It's a difficult to job to be the coach of a Super League side, but I would say it's an even more difficult job to be a chairman with the responsibility to lead a club, not just manage it," Clarke said.
"That's the challenge all chairman face. Whenever a coach gets sacked, they always think they deserve longer or they needed longer, and there were inches or other factors, but that's the nature.
"I've followed the sport for over 40 years and, eventually, when teams lose and lose by significant scores at home, for the last 40 years rightly or wrongly the chairman makes the decision."
Who could take over as head coach?
Another former Hull FC player, Andy Last, has been placed in temporary charge with Kieron Purtill, who joined the club last year after a spell as head coach at Championship side Widnes Vikings.
They will be in charge for the foreseeable future and Pearson hinted they will have the opportunity to earn the roles on a full-time basis while the search for a successor takes place.
Last, in particular, has an intimate knowledge of how the club operates, having previously worked as the club's head of youth development for two years and then served as an assistant coach.
That is role he was fulfilling under Radford alongside Purtill, who has over a decade of professional coaching experience too.
Other names linked with the vacancy so far include former Hull and Australia loose forward Craig Fitzgibbon, currently serving as an assistant to Trent Robinson at NRL champions Sydney Roosters, and highly-regarded London Broncos head coach Danny Ward.
What next for Radford?
Given his track record at Hull, it is highly likely Radford will be back in a Super League coaching role sooner rather than later.
Agar, who had Radford as his captain during his time in charge of the club, knows he will be keen to get back as well.
However, the Leeds head coach knows from his own experience that sometimes it is good to take a break from the sport rather than jumping straight back into a new job.
"You spend some time with your family and try to get away if you can - which might be difficult at this moment in time - and almost have some time to recover," Agar said.
"The job is all-consuming and it's probably only when you walk away for a little bit and take a deep breath you think 'that was a really tough time'.
"He's a fighter, so he'll be thinking 'I can turn this around' and you take more on board and work even harder than you normally work. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to take a step back."
