Josh Reynolds’ failed Hull FC spell vindicates the clubs future recruitment strategy

Sport is a ruthless business, and rugby league is no different. In fact, given the constraints of the salary cap, rugby league is about as brutal as it gets, and right now, Josh Reynolds will be feeling that.

After a sequence of underwhelming displays, Hull Live have reported that the club have parted ways with the Australian half back, who we believe was Hull's highest ever paid player.

A marquee man, Reynolds, who arrived at the Black and Whites ahead of the 2021 season, was Brett Hodgson's first signing as Hull FC boss. He was his man, tasked with adding some guile and flair to the attack.

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From the off, Reynolds had some big boots to fill. Replacing Albert Kelly, he was perhaps already on a hiding to nothing. Kelly had a sublime stay on the west side of Hull, although his injury record was starting to get the better of him.

That saw Hull opt for a different route, with Kelly, after his own weight loss programme, joining Brisbane Broncos in the NRL, and Reynolds arriving in East Yorkshire.

Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and Reynolds would only end up playing around 60% of Hull's games in his one and a half seasons at the club.

However, you could say that the warning signs were already there. Reynolds had both a troubled and injury-hit time in his three years at Wests Tigers, and he was hardly the player that got champagned off the pitch in his time at Canterbury Bulldogs. But he was a player Hodgson knew well, and one he thought could add something to the Hull side. That was good enough for most, and both the Hull club and the fans were excited for his arrival.

After starting with a bang against Huddersfield on