Paul Cooke on Davy Litten’s move to Wakefield, ‘poor influences’, and what impressed him in Hull FC’s victory at St Helens.
Hull FC centre Davy Litten.(Image: Getty)
Paul Cooke believes Davy Litten’s transfer from Hull FC to Wakefield Trinity will work out as the best move for both parties, with the player able to get away from some ‘poor influences’ in and around the city.
The West Yorkshire outfit have paid Hull a six-figure fee to secure Litten on a four-year deal, with the club reporting that the move came about after a transfer request from the player.
That will see Litten ply his trade in Wakefield from the 2027 season, with the centre leaving his boyhood club after first breaking into the side four years ago.
The 23-year-old has gone on to play over 60 times for Hull and has notched up a career-best 13 tries to date this year. He had one year remaining on his contract and now frees up more salary cap space for Hull to recruit under incoming head coach Steve McNamara.
Speaking on All Out Rugby League’s Back Ten podcast, Cooke said: “I think the move, both for Davy and for Hull FC, will be a good one. I think Davy needs to get out of Hull and I think Hull need to start turning that roster around a little bit.
“I’m not sure if he was offered a contract by Hull FC or not, or whether Steve McNamara needed to see more of him or not, but it’s an interesting one because it’s very akin to the Cam Scott move from Hull to Wakefield.
“I think Cam Scott became a better player by going to Wakefield. He’s now moving on and Davy has got a real chance now on a four-year contract. He gets out of Hull, which is sometimes really important. There are some poor influences sometimes in Hull for young players and for players it’s easy to become the big man around the city there. Trust me.
“It’s a big move for Davy and one that I think will benefit both him and Hull FC. It releases some cap space for them. It’s a loss, but Hull have also got some good young players coming through.”
Elsewhere, Cooke also praised Hull for their victory at St Helens last Thursday night. The Black and Whites defeated the Saints 32-18 after a strong second-half performance, with the former FC half-back singling out a key period and a ‘beautiful’ Jake Arthur pass for Lewis Martin to score.
“It’s been a poor year for Hull, but there was a little bit of a shoot for them at the weekend with a great performance at St Helens,” Cooke said. “We can talk about how poor St Helens are; their season is done, they won’t make the six, but I thought it was a great performance from Hull FC.
“They scored just before the break and that was a big moment to level the game. Then for 15 minutes in the second half, they were faultless. They completed around eight sets, ground St Helens down, and scored two tries in the meantime and then it was game over.
“The challenge for them this week, and I’ve seen a piece already from Andy Last, is to back it up. It’s about the next one now. The next step is to keep a little bit of consistency.
“I also want to mention Jake Arthur’s pass. It was sublime. It’s something I love to see as a former half, throwing that ball over the top and having the vision to see the opening of the St Helens defence and throw a beautiful pass out for the winger Lewis Martin, who finished really well.
“There are some shoots there for Hull FC. It will be an interesting pre-season for them. What we’ve been told is that it has been a little bit easier over the last few years. Jake Clifford went home and said it was the easiest pre-season he’s had. There needs to be some change there and there will be.”