Yusuf, Tiaki, John and Ollie—everything Simon Grix said on recent Hull FC recruitment

Simon Grix has laid out the 'valuable' qualities Yusuf Aydin will bring to Hull FC. The 23-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at the Black and Whites, with the Turkish international part of a swap deal, as exclusively reported by Hull Live, that saw Jack Brown move in the other direction to Hull KR.

And having spent two weeks on loan at Hull already, Grix is confident that Aydin can build on the early traits he has shown so far. By all accounts, the prop forward has settled into the cliub with ease, impressing with his atitude, effort, and energy.

Those are all things that his teammates value, with Grix laying out those attributes in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game against London Broncos. The interim head coach also stated that the move could be the fresh start that Brown needs, having debuted at the club back in 2019.

"Jack got himself fixed up with KR early on there," Grix said when asked about the swap deal. "We had Yusuf, and the chat has developed from there. Jack goes to have a fresh start; he's been a good servant to the club, and nobody can begrudge him wanting to go play over there. We wish him well, and we got Yusuf in return, which I think is a really good bit of business for us.

"Anyone who understands the game, and we've seen it in the last couple of games, his effort and his energy are right where they need to be. He's young as well, and he's got a lot of time to improve. and playing in the middle, they're the latest to develop, so we're excited to see what he can do in the next couple of years.

"He's a fit lad, and he can do minutes for you. His effort areas, the kick pressure, getting back onside, and his wrestling—all these little things that don't catch the headlines and they're not too pretty—it's the stuff that teammates value, and he's brought that in spades so far."

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Hull have also signed Tiaki Chan on loan for the next two weeks, with the Wigan Warriors forward set to go straight into the 21-man squad for the trip to the capital. That could see the player, with the Challenge Cup semi-finals taking place next week, just play one game for Hull. However, Grix hopes that isn't the case with the loan deal potentially reviewed on a week-to-week basis.

"Tiaki can play in the back row or in the middle," Grix continued. "We're still trying to find that spark, and he'll come with some energy. They're very deep Wigan in terms of what they've got depth wise, and it's valuable game time for him and a good opportunity for us. He's trained really well today. I coached against him last year, so I know what sort of player we're getting, and we know what we've got.

"Hopefully, it's more than one game, but that won't be in our control. If Wigan want him back, they will get him back. We'll just enjoy him this week and the energy he brings, and we hope he gives us a good game."

Grix also commented on John Asiata and Oliver Holmes, with Asiata confirmed as Hull's first major signing for 2025 on a three-year deal. Holmes, meanwhile, hasn't been officially confirmed, but it is Hull Live's understanding that he is set to sign with the club for next season.

"Asiata is a very good player," Grix explained. "He's shown over the last year or so with Leigh how important he can be to a team. He transformed their attack, and I think the way he plays has really helped them on their way to winning the Challenge Cup.

"Obviously, his pedigree before that speaks for itself. He played a long time in the NRL, and he's definitely a good pickup for us. He's an experienced player, and it shows where the club wants to be. Richie has done a good job getting that one across the line.

"As for Ollie, a player like that will definitely add to us. He's another experienced one, but whether it's the coach or players, we're involved with everyone at the moment."

Grix was also asked about Ed Chamberlain's early recall and the drama with Leigh Leopards over the weekend that saw Derek Beaumont label Hull 'desperate.' However, the interim coach was having none of it, adding: "I'm not getting involved in all of that nonsense."

Read more: Richie Myler reacts to 'exciting' Hull FC loan signing as Wigan Warriors move confirmed