Two more teams enter race for Hull FC transfer target

As the end of the 2023 season approaches Super League teams are in a race with each other to recruit for 2024 and that’s the same in the NRL, often leading to a bidding war between the two competitions and that looks set to happen for one Hull FC target.

It was reported yesterday that Hull FC target Connor Watson, with Hull Live initially reporting the club’s interest in the Sydney Roosters player, was the subject to a strong pursuit by NRL side Canterbury Bulldogs.

The club’s Director of Football Gus Gould had confirmed that to Channel 9’s Danny Weidler, with Weidler reporting that Watson had undergone a medical with the Bulldogs last week per his understanding.

“Connor Watson has been very strongly linked to the Bulldogs,” Weidler stated.

“I believe that he had a medical last week.”

Gould then confirmed: “He is a very good player, and we have spoken to him.

“He is off-contract at the end of the year with the Roosters and it was my mail that he was considering a UK offer. I thought he was too good to be going to the UK at this time.”

With Watson capable of playing both hooker and loose forward he could be of key importance to Hull FC’s spine given the uncertainty over Danny Houghton with reports also suggesting Brad Dywer and Jake Clifford are set to leave the KCOM Stadium.

The competition has now got even larger for Hull FC with two other NRL clubs joining the race for Watson.

That’s been reported down under by Weidler once again who has stated that Wests Tigers and Watson’s own team the Roosters are both showing interest in signing and retaining him.

Weidler’s tweet read: “LATEST: Tigers enter the race for Bulldogs target Connor Watson … and all of a sudden his team the Roosters are showing interest.”

It’s unclear whether Hull FC are still pursuing Watson given the Bulldogs interest and this latest development but they may have to pay over the odds to recruit him given that he is just 27 and has plenty of rugby league left in his legs.