At times, players are often unwanted at a club but with that comes new opportunity and for Gold Coast Titans half Jordan Rankin, he has a chance to show what he can do, after signing a 2-year deal with Hull FC.
Rankin, who is a former Australian schoolboy and still only 21, was recommended to the club by some of the current Hull FC players, including former team-mate and current Hull FC halfback, Jacob Miller.
With a challenge in the Super League awaiting him, Rankin says the chance to work with Lee Radford was too good to pass up.
“It’s a big move from the Gold Coast but I’m looking forward to the opportunity and to the challenge of playing in the Super League,” said Rankin.
“We get the Super League over in Australia and I saw Hull reach the Challenge Cup final last year. Unfortunately, they got beat but they are one of the top teams in the competition and I wouldn’t be going over there unless it was to a quality team with quality coaching and quality players around me.
“I spoke to the management and they were really keen to get me over there in the team and I’ve got a good mate in Jake playing over there too.
Rejecting overtures from two NRL clubs to play in the Super League, Rankin is excited and looks forward to the opportunity and challenge that will come with playing for Hull FC.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity for me to improve my own game and not many people know me over there in England, so it’s a chance for me to start afresh and play my own brand of footy,” said Rankin.
“I’m sure that if I play the way I intend to play, with the coaching staff that we have around me and the likes of Mickey Paea to play behind, we can test the competition pretty strongly and I’m really looking forward to it.â€
At just 21, Rankin has 18 NRL games to his name, 67 Holden Cup games and 30 games in the QLD Cup.
Named the Titans rookie of the year in 2008, Rankin has talent and for the club, they are looking forward to having someone of Rankin’s ability.
“Jordan is a player with undoubted natural talent and I know circumstances have dictated he was unfortunate not to have played a lot more games in the NRL so far,” said Hull FC coach, Lee Radford.
“To have signed a player of this quality is very exciting for us and despite a pretty detailed and lengthy recruitment focus on the half back position, he was the one player that always came out on top throughout the process.
“I was extremely impressed with his character and how level headed he was for a young man throughout the talks we had, whilst he has received some very positive feedback from Australia.”
Although pleased to have him on board, Radford admits that he was surprised Rankin opted to come to the Super League, given the options he had in Australia.
“If I am being honest, I am probably surprised that it’s a move that has come off for us because over the last 12 months he has had a number of attractive options on the table, but their loss is certainly our gain,” said Radford.
“That isn’t to build up too much expectation on the young lad’s shoulders, he still has a number of areas to work on despite being very mature, but he is a former teammate of Jacob Miller and has a very good running game not to dissimilar to the style of Richard Horne, so we have three very good options in there for us now.
“Jordan’s challenge is to come here and cement a starting spot in the halves and we’ll be looking to get him over here as soon as possible as it’s important he gets time with the team and comfortable in his surroundings.”