After two years at the helm of Super League side Hull FC, former Wests Tigers, Parramatta and Western Suburbs fullback Brett Hodgson and the club have parted ways ‘by mutual consent’.
Hodgson, who had worked with the club as a coaching consultant ahead of the 2013 campaign, was promoted to the Hull FC head coaching job after a stint back home in Australia as head coach of the Western Suburbs NSW Cup team.
Though the start of his time in the top job saw his side lose just two of their opening seven matches, difficult times soon followed, with the club missing the finals despite their strong start.
This year ended in similar fashion for Hodgson’s team, winning just one of their final five games as they slid from the cusp of the finals places to a ninth-placed finish.
The cherry on top was the last-day humiliation at the hands of rivals Hull Kingston-Rovers, with the 36-4 drubbing leaving Hodgson to lament his team’s performance.
“Disappointing is the least descriptive word you could use for that performance – I’m disgusted we put in a performance like that,” Hodgson admitted after the game.
“We’ve had a tough end to the season and this performance sums up our back end of the year. For us as a collective to not get up for this game is not okay.
“We’ll be in next week to review what went wrong before the players break for the off-season.”
While Hodgson will no longer take part in that end-of-year review, club chairman Adam Pearson was full of praise for the outgoing coach.
“On behalf of the board, staff and supporters of Hull FC, I’d like to thank Brett for the commitment and dignity he demonstrated in his two years with the club," he said.
“Brett joined us during a period of transition and the disruption caused by COVID, as well as facing further challenges presented by injuries and suspensions.”
Having revelled in his last return to Campbelltown, there are already suggestions that Hodgson could move straight back to Sydney’s south-west as part of Tim Sheens’ coaching staff which already consists of club legends Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah.