Matt Parcell's Hull KR departure circumstances disclosed

Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com - Hull KR's Matt Parcell
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Matt Parcell's departure from Hull Kingston Rovers at the end of the season to go to Australia has been announced - and the player and coach Willie Peters have both given their perspectives on the circumstances.

Rovers hooker Parcell had a conversation with Peters a year ago in which the player said he only had another year or two of Super League left in him - then Peters made the decision to plan for the future.

Peters said: "He's made a huge contribution, especially in the time that I've been here but before that as well. He's a valued member of our team. He's worked his way back in this year to starting hooker and we've got two very good hookers. Unfortunately we couldn't keep Matty next year, salary cap and things like that. We wish him all the best. No matter what he does, he's going to be a success, he's an intelligent guy and he's got a great, young family.

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"No shadow of a doubt he can keep going. It's purely around salary cap and things like that and decisions around certain positions, needing to strengthen positions, as to why Matty's not here. It was his decision late last year that it was more than likely that it was going to be his last year. So we knew well in advance and we had to start planning off the back of that. So that's how it all started."

Parcell, who joined Rovers in 2019 from Leeds Rhinos, had other offers to carry on playing in Super League and is not sure yet if he will keep playing in Australia.

The 31-year-old said: "Willie and I had a chat maybe 12 months ago. He sort of let me know then that this would be my last year. I'm a quota spot still under the current rules and Waerea-Hargreaves signed quite early into the season. So I knew from an early stage that this would be my last year here. That was barring a change - there was a small chance that the rules might get changed a little bit, now that I'm a British citizen. I've sort of known for a while so I've just gone into this year just enjoying my footy and playing as well as I can.

"We spoke about how long I was staying and I said I'd probably only have another year or two left in me. If I was going to stay, it was probably going to be more of a long-term thing and I said I couldn't commit to that. It was mutual, it was fine. I appreciate the honesty. And we sort of moved from that stage. My focus coming back this year was just on playing as long as I could.

"I feel fine, it has got nothing to do with football. I've been here eight years now. We have got a little girl now and it's sort of that time when you start to think about family and being away from them."

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