The announcement of signings and departures is a carefully manicured procedure these days across the whole spectrum of sports.

Clubs send out co-ordinated releases to media outlets with agreed embargo times.

“Player A is leaving and Club A would like to thank them for their service”...“Club B would like to announce that Player A has signed on a two-year-deal.”

Every now and again, though, you might catch Player A off guard and he might break the news to a trusted outlet himself.

Next move: Gareth Ellis, playing in the 745 game for Rob Burrow in 2024 has left Hull for a fourth time to join a Super League rival.

placeholder image — Next move: Gareth Ellis, playing in the 745 game for Rob Burrow in 2024 has left Hull for a fourth time to join a Super League rival.

That was the case last Wednesday at the Yorkshire Invitational celeb-am golf event, when former Grand Final winner Gareth Ellis was asked to offer his thoughts on the Super League play-offs that were about to get underway that weekend.

Pint in hand (shandy, of course), golf shirt on, September sun on his face, the 45-year-old cut a relaxed figure, far removed from the intimidating giant that thundered into tackles for two decades.

And what’s next for you, came the question.

Without thought for embargoes, club protocol or who he might upset, Ellis happily spilled the beans.

Gareth Ellis gives out instructions during his time as assistant coach at Hull FC in 2023. (Picture: John Clifton/SWPix.com)

“I’m off to York Knights,” he beamed, confirming what his new club have not yet revealed, even if Hull FC had already said he would be leaving them for a fourth time, thanking him for his services etc…

Ellis will take a role within Mark Applegarth’s coaching set-up as York look to build on their first season in Super League.

“It's a bit more local for me,” said Ellis. “I'm from the Selby area, so I'm on the outskirts of York.

“Actually, that was my first professional club. I went to the academy back in 1997. So it’s a full circle moment. My dad played for York going back into the 70s and 80s, so a little bit of history there. I was doing a lot of the welfare stuff at Hull last year, and this is an opportunity to just have one last crack at coaching.

“I spoke to Mark Applegarth and he really sold the club to me.

“I've been around the area for a long time and I can see the ambition that they've got, but also the product that they've actually got to sell.

“York is a great city. It's probably a real draw for any overseas players. People travel from all around the world to visit York.

“I'm really keen to get in, because they've had a great year this year. They've shown some real spirit, given their first year in the Super League, and I'm looking forward to working alongside the coaching staff and the players next year.”

Throughout his much-garlanded playing career, Ellis experienced it all: tough times at Wakefield, good times at Leeds, good and bad at Hull.

He has seen teams rise and fall and in the last two seasons has watched as Hull KR rose to win it all and as his old club Wakefield transformed themselves into contenders.

Given time he sees that potential at York Knights.

“Just look at those clubs that have come from humble beginnings, shall we say, and are now pushing to the point where we're talking about them, potentially, as Super League winners,” he said.

“York have new owners. I'm sure they're as ambitious as anybody and want to be part of a successful team. So who's to say this is not the start of something?

“Obviously, there's a lot of hard work that goes into all that, building things not only on the field but behind the scenes, building a club, not just a team.

“York are in the infancy of that, given the first year in the Super League and the hard work that's gone into getting them there. But I definitely think there's something there to sell.”