Doncaster chief executive Carl Hall has opened up on his club’s relationship with dual-registration partners Hull FC.
Among the lengthy list of topics covered, Hall explains that Doncaster pay the Black and Whites as part of the dual-registration deal to receive a certain quality of player throughout the season.
He has revealed the number of FC squad members available to Doncaster in 2019, though just five per matchday team can be utilised every week.
Hall discussed his relationship with Hull chief executive James Clark and he is delighted to continue the partnership with the Super League side.
The New Zealand-born former rugby league player was speaking to Doncaster’s club website and here is what he had to say below.
“We have distributed a significant chunk of our budget to Hull FC. That’s contracted now and it guarantees us a certain level of player in a game. So we are paying for that.
“It’s a system. There is the dual-registration and we are giving Hull a fee. We have always paid for dual-registration players.
“It does cost us and we have never done it for free. Nothing is for free but what we have done is agree a certain fee every month and that will get us a specific calibre of player. We’re in control of that. It’s in the contract and agreed by both clubs.
“That’s not to say the players will play every week. Richard (Horne) has still got to pick. Performance is key. If our boys are performing, they will stay in. But he has got access to other players."
“Myself and James Clark, this is the reason why it’s taken so long to get to where we have got to. We are both protecting our clubs and we have come to an agreement. Adam Pearson has been good with it as well. I met with him.
How many Hull players are available?
“We have 20 players signed on now who are ours. With the Hull dual-registration, there are about 16 of them who could be made available to Richard Horne if they are not needed in the Hull first team.
“Hull have 38 contracted players this year because they thought there was going to be a full-on reserve grade. Every Super League club apart from a couple said they were going to have one and as it’s turned out, only two have committed.
“Nobody can question the Hull players when they come to us. They really put it on the line. They are the first players to come up to me after the game apologising when the results haven’t gone well.