Simon Grix reaffirms unpopular Hull FC reality as club aim to balance out goal

Hull FC may have improved in recent weeks, particularly in terms of performances, which have seen a sequence of more competitive displays. However, for Simon Grix, the club’s big reality hasn’t changed.

Even with six new recruits confirmed and more still to come, the interim coach is still cautious about the long-term project. For the 38-year-old, Hull’s trajectory is still a lengthy process and not an overnight fix.

However, Grix is confident that Hull can continue to get better and make improvements, but all within context. Of course, the Black and Whites are aiming to get back to the upper enclaves of the Super League competition, but again, the reality is that it may take time and patience, with all connected to the club needing to hold their nerve and see their plan out of developing young players and adding quality and experience to help and support them.

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"Looking ahead, we're going to be better," Grix said of Hull’s immediate future. "Obviously, all of your recruitment is in an effort to get better, but my opinion would be that it's the same as Tony's was, and it's unpopular, but it's not an overnight fix.

"One swing of the axe and changing a load of blokes in one shot is not going to make us Grand Final winners. That has to be the end goal; otherwise, we wouldn't be involved in it, but we have to understand that it didn't take an overnight fall from the heights of 2016 and 2017, when the club was winning the Challenge Cup and doing okay in the league.

"We have to understand that it's a process to work back towards that. A lot of good stuff will happen on the way to that, and part of my involvement at the moment, along with Franny (Cummins), Jason (Davidson), and all of the lads, is making sure we develop these young lads to be a part of it.

"There's no point in waxing lyrical about these younger fellas and then forgetting about them in three months when we swing into the next pre-season. We have to make the future about them as much as it is about these new blokes coming in. There's rhyme and reason for all of them, and there are gaps that need to be filled, but it's going to be a long process.

"We could prove everyone wrong and go great next season, and I'd absolutely love that, but realistically, going from the bottom end to the top, it's not going to happen overnight. We've got to be patient with it."

Read more: Hull FC recruitment factors explained with further additions still to come in