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Former Leeds Rhinos and England Knights full-back Jack Walker, 25, is still without a club after being released by Airlie Birds but he’s adamant he can get back into Super League despite tricky personal situation
Out-of-work Jack Walker has slammed Richie Myler for how his Hull exit was handled – and maintained he’s good enough for the Super League.
The England Knights full-back, 25, remains without a club after being cut in November with a year still to run on his FC contract. With the new season less than six weeks away, he’s in the unusual position of training on his own in hometown Leeds while anxiously waiting for the phone to ring.
But given most clubs have already long since sorted their squads for the 2025 campaign, realistic Walker knows he might not get a deal. With hapless Hull finishing 11th, only above rock bottom London on points difference, director of rugby Myler has made plenty of changes in preparation for the year ahead.
Walker, who played alongside the ex-England scrum-half with Leeds Rhinos, insisted: “I’m definitely confident I can play Super League. I’ve always had that work hard mentality.
“But it is just a tough situation. Richie Myler put me in this position. He could have told me when he came in [in April] but decided to tell me one week into pre-season. It put me in such a bad position. He knows what it’s like to be a player on that side of things so I don’t understand why he’d do it like that.
“But it is what it is. I won’t be salty about it. Hopefully it works out in my favour – and I still back my ability.”
Walker burst onto the Super League scene becoming the youngest ever Grand Final winner when, aged just 18 years and 60 days, Rhinos beat Castleford in 2017. The following year he toured Papua New Guinea with Knights but a serious foot injury suffered in 2020 saw his blossoming career stall with Walker missing almost two years of action.
After scoring 22 tries in 75 games for Leeds, he dropped down to the Championship with Bradford in 2003. However, he got another shot in Super League with Hull KR later that year before joining city rivals Hull ahead of last season, going on to play 14 games.
On his solitary training regime, Walker admitted: “It’s tough and lonely on the same treadmill at the same time in the same gym every single day. It’s just boring. It’s hard to describe. But it’s something I have to do or otherwise I’ll fall behind. I need to be ready.
“I’m not at a club so I don’t have access to strength and conditioning coaches or nutritionists. But I’ve been working with a personal trainer. It’s going really well. I’ve put on nine and half kilos since the end of the season.
“If I get a team I’ll be playing at 85 or 86 kilos which is the heaviest I’ve been and I think I needed to do that. Before, having had such a big injury, my mindset was to be as light as possible so not much weight was going through that foot. It was a protection mindset. I’m bigger now but have still been able to do that running. I feel good.”
Walker’s settlement from Hull has helped pay the bills for now. But, with a young family to support, he might soon have to get a normal job.
He said: “I have thought about it. I need something not too taxing on my body so I can still train hard. That’s the most important thing. But we’ll see.”