Former Hull FC front-row enforcer Mark O’Meley is confident that Hull FC have a strong pair in Tex Hoy and Jake Clifford.
O’Meley is well connected with the young pair through his recent coaching role at Newcastle Knights.
Both Hoy and Clifford will follow in the footsteps of ‘The Ogre’, who himself made the switch from Australia to East Yorkshire in 2010.
He enjoyed four solid years at the MKM Stadium, featuring in a Challenge Cup Final in that time.
The club approached O’Meley for a reference on the pair, and he told hullfc.com how excited he was when the Black & Whites called.
“I was quite excited myself when the club reached out for some feedback on the two boys. They are both good young lads and I’ve had a bit to do with them over the last couple of years,” he said.
“They’ve both come through the systems and they’re both very professional. They look after themselves well with their diets etc.
“Jake is a great young prospect. You only have to look at players like Brodie Croft and Jackson Hastings who went over there and I think Jake is miles ahead of those boys.
“He’s still learning his craft but he’s got a really good kicking game, really good vision and he’s a pretty solid defender. He’ll get over there and he’ll surprise a lot of people. The Old Faithful will show him the respect and give him the love back that he puts out on the field.”
Whilst O’Meley had good words to say about halfback Clifford, he also spoke highly of Tex Hoy.
“Tex played in my son’s team when we moved back from England that won a comp with the Knights.
“I’ve known Tex for a while through Origin pathways and the New South Wales Cup at the Knights. Cliff and Tex played a game against the Dragons this year and they complemented each other really well.
“Tex tore the right edge apart and Cliff the left. Cliff’s kicking 40/20s, Tex is coming into the line and playing football rolling in behind.
“He’s really focused, he understands his role and what he wants to do in rugby league. I’ve had a lot more to do with Tex and I know a lot more about him than I do Cliff.”
Having been involved in a coaching capacity at the Knights in recent years, O’Meley has had the chance to catch up with a fellow coach in the NRL, a former Hull FC front-row team mate, no less.
Both O’Meley and Craig Fitzgibbon, now Head Coach at Cronulla Sharks, have taken nostalgic trips down memory lane to reflect on their time as Black & Whites.
“I say all the time when I talk to people about the UK and when I talk to Craig Fitzgibbon that we actually miss Hull. I miss it a lot.
“I enjoyed my time there, and especially how the club supported me both on and off the field with my family. It was something that I really enjoyed in my football career to play four years at the Black and Whites and enjoy it.
“We didn’t have the success that they had a couple of years later with the Challenge Cups but it was great seeing it come through.”
Reflecting on his time in the city of Hull, O’Meley has been able to draw on his own experiences to help prepare both Hoy and Clifford for life in East Yorkshire.
“I’ve talked to both lads all year about how good Hull was to me and my family. It’s a different style of rugby, the ten metres is a little bit shorter and it’s a bit more physical but technically with the craft those boys have they can identify and pull some team’s weaknesses apart,” he said.
“I get on with both of them and I’ve got to know them a little bit more than just being their coach. I got to work with them and chat to them on and off the field not just about rugby league, but in life as well.
“They’re really good kids. They work hard and they deserve everything that they get with how they conduct themselves. They’re really good people, too, and I’m really excited about what they can do when they go to Hull next year.”
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