The young hooker played against Hull FC this year – and was twice on the winning side.
Hull FC hooker Denive Balmforth.(Image: SW Pix)
Denive Balmforth’s loan move to York Knights this season was a result of Hull FC’s salary cap ‘pressure’, club CEO Richie Myler has stated.
However, the move was also a necessity to first ensure the player got Super League minutes under his belt and, secondly, to avoid another Jez Litten-like situation, who has gone on to play a superb career at Hull KR after leaving Hull in 2019.
The Black and Whites felt the pinch of Balmforth’s loan move last month as he scored for York against his parent club in what ended up being a four-point winning margin, but Myler believes they will now see a better player return to the club next season.
The talented hooker is set to share the role with new Hull signing Alrix Da Costa under incoming head coach Steve McNamara, who is keen to work with the 22-year-old and maximise his potential.
“The reality was we had Amir Bourouh and Cade Cust, who were our starting and backup nine,” Myler said. “With the salary cap pressure we were under – we were over the salary cap at the start of the season – the decision was made to get some experience into Denive somewhere else.
“York came back and wanted to take him as a full transfer but we didn’t want to risk that backfiring on us in the long run. There was a lengthy discussion on what the deal looked like for us and Denive, and we landed on that he could go but not be called back.
“The final thing was he was allowed to play in all games, even against us. We’ll never make that decision again for that reason; it was a learning lesson, but there were circumstances as to why.
“We wouldn’t have been able to play Denive in the 2026 season due to the salary cap. We thought for his development to go play 25 or so games in another team and establish himself would give him the best chance to come back and perform for Hull FC. It was the right thing to do and we feel like we’ve benefited from it.
“He’s had some great games and he’s really developed. He’s got areas of his game that he needs to be better at and he knows that, but he’s coming in to work with Steve, who is excited to work with him.
“Denive wants to be part of Hull FC. He understood the journey. We changed our coach and Steve has looked at it objectively. There is a very talented young player in there that the club paid a transfer fee for four years ago.
“It’s been great to see him go there to York and develop. Before my time, the club made a decision to let Jez Litten go and that has backfired. We didn’t want to do that again. But he has scored a try against us and we did lose by four points, so I won’t be doing that again.”
Balmforth will now rekindle a previous partnership from a loan spell at Catalans in Da Costa.
“Alrix has worked with Denive before in a combination when Denive went on loan,” Myler said. “That dynamic between the two of them blends well for what we need. I’m excited to see the partnership of those two players.”
And on the French hooker, Myler added: “It’s an area that Steve felt we needed a bit of investment in. He is a tough competitor; he doesn’t take a backwards step, and he defends well. He’s crafty out of dummy half. He’s also right in your face and aggressive. I think our fans will enjoy watching him play.”