A mixed assessment.
Incoming Hull FC head coach Steve McNamara.
Jérôme Guisset has backed incoming Hull FC coach Steve McNamara to turn around the ‘DNA’ of the club when he arrives in East Yorkshire this autumn, and just has he did at Catalans Dragons during a stellar eight year stint.
McNamara has signed a four-year deal to return to his hometown club ahead of next season, with former Catalans prop forward Guisset outlining his impact on the Dragons – which for a man born and bred in Hull, was all the more impressive during a spell that brought a Challenge Cup triumph, a Super League League Leaders Shield, and two Super League Grand Final appearances.
However, while excited to see what McNamara can do at the Black and Whites, Guisset also laid out his ‘disappointment’ at the way Hull have treated the 2026 season, and in his opinion, have ‘waved the white flag’ on the campaign.
Speaking on All Out Rugby League’s Back Ten podcast, Guisset said: “Hull FC is huge. I’m guessing in terms of budget, they have one of the biggest in the league. They get one of the biggest average attendances. They’ve got a massive fan base. That side of the city bleeds black and white. It’s just not good enough, for such a big club, to now be second from bottom.
“I’ve been a player, I’ve been a coach, and all my life I’ve been a fan, and what I find really disappointing is when a club waves a white flag and forgets a season and thinks about the following season. For such a big club, they did that so early on. They got rid of John Cartwright, and from what I saw in the press, that wasn’t done well.”
Asked about McNamara’s appointment, Guisset continued: “I think Steve Mac is a great steal. It’s a great, great signing. What he did at Catalans Dragons: he transformed the club and transformed the organisation.
“We talk about DNA and what the Dragons are about, and he will do that at Hull FC. He’s going to get a lot of backing, but I can’t get away from the fact they’ve wiped out this season. As a fan and a supporter of Hull FC, I’d be very disappointed with that.”
Advocating McNamara’s appointment, Back Ten co-host Paul Cooke added: “It’s interesting hearing Jerome say he brought back DNA to Catalans. I mean, how do you do that as a foreigner? How do you do that as a guy from Hull who has no idea about French culture? He immersed himself into that and I’m pretty sure he’ll do a good job. The worse it gets now, the better it is for him, isn’t it? The only way is up.”