By JOHN DAVIDSON
Tony Smith says Jake Connor’s shock departure from Hull FC had already started before he joined as head coach and he was not against the fullback leaving the club.
Connor was a key figure at the Black & Whites, the attacking lynchpin and led Super League in try assists last year.
But questions remain over his defence and, amid rumours of dressing room problems at the club, in October he was released by Hull FC and he rejoined Huddersfield.
Smith, who was appointed by the club in September, has revealed he had no contact with Connor after he was hired, and didn’t have a single conversation with the outside back before his release was announced.
“It wasn’t a decision I was against,” Smith told rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads.
“What I did, there was talk of him looking around and maybe him having a deal, then that went quiet.
“And there was probably, there could have been an opportunity for me to pick up the phone and maybe say ‘let’s meet up and see if you want to stay’. I didn’t do that.
“I wanted him to know that he either wanted to be there, or be somewhere else. Then the opportunity arose for him to go, and he did. So Jake and I didn’t actually speak at all.
“I was away on holiday at that time. It’s fine. If Jake really wanted to be with us, I would have been fine working with him.
“If he didn’t want to be with us, or wasn’t sure, I was happy for him to keep looking.
“I wasn’t going to try and convince him that everything was going to be great with me there as a coach.”
Smith hopes for the best for Connor at the Giants.
“I wish him well,” he said.
“[But] I always say, I only want players that want to play for that club.
“And I think we’ve got a very talented Jake (Clifford] in our team.
“Whilst we may miss one, I think we’ve got a very good one ourselves.”
With Connor exiting east Hull, the Black & Whites have brought in fullback Tex Hoy and halfback Jake Clifford from Newcastle, along with Leeds pair Liam Sutcliffe and Brad Dwyer, and Castleford stand-off Jake Trueman.
Those five are expected to control the side’s attack, along with Ben McNamara, as Hull FC get used to a new spine.
“Jake Connor was terrific on his day, and he had a big influence on outcomes of games – both ways, sometimes,” Smith said.
“But I think there’s less of a reliance [now] on one or two people.
“We’re going to spread that across the group…. I’m happy with that. I don’t want to have a team that’s a one-trick pony.”
