Hull FC: Adam Pearson’s warm tribute to late Airlie Birds legend and ‘elder statesman of city’ Johnny Whiteley

Firstly, as is always the case when Hull FC take on St Helens, it is not just two Betfred Super League points at stake but also the Steve Prescott Cup.

The titular legendary full-back represented both clubs with such pride and honour before his death from a rare stomach cancer at the age of just 39 in 2013.

Each season, Hull and Saints combine the aggregate scores of their various games against each other to see who claims the silverware and today’s is this campaign’s first leg.

It will also see another iconic Hull figure, veteran hooker Danny Houghton, break yet another record for his hometown club as he makes his 388th appearance, more than any other Black and Whites player in the Super League era.

However, of course, uppermost in people’s thoughts – not just on the west side of Hull but across the city and throughout the entire sport – will be remembering Johnny Whiteley MBE who sadly died on Sunday aged 91.

As the East Yorkshire club’s most famous son, the former loose forward made more than 400 appearances for the Airlie Birds from 1950 to 1965 and won the Ashes and World Cups with Great Britain as he established himself as one of the greatest players in the sport.

After retirement, he enjoyed a successful coaching career and went on to achieve so much more by spreading the rugby league word throughout his home city of Hull.

Even as late as last year, Whiteley – inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2018 – was still attending games, always wearing his black and white colours with pride in his role as club ambassador.

Tributes have poured in from around the world this week but today is the first chance the club can truly unite to express their love and admiration for ‘Gentleman John’.

Hull chairman Adam Pearson told The Yorkshire Post: “Johnny’s been an omnipresent feature of my life since I bought the club 10 years ago.

“He did go to every home and away game in the boardroom with us. On the board, he was our elder statesman really – our ambassador for the club and our ambassador for rugby league and our ambassador really for all good things there are about Hull.

“He was definitely seen as the elder statesmen of our city.

“In these days of social media and widespread public opinion on all kinds of topics, I’ve never known a gentleman’s passing away come with such universal praise for his character and his standing in the community.

“I haven’t heard anyone say anything (bad) about Johnny ever since I came to the club 10 years ago.”

It will be strange for all concerned not seeing Whiteley taking his seat in the main stand for today’s game but his spirit will certainly be alive as the club pay their tributes.

“We’ve been working with (daughter) Kim and the family and Joan his wife to make sure we get it absolutely right,” added Pearson.

“Johnny was understated by nature.

“He wouldn’t want a great deal of fuss. As a Freeman of the City of Hull, I know he’s entitled to a civic funeral but I’m not sure whether they will take that.

“There will obviously be some tributes to Johnny on Saturday with dignitaries of the City and some replays of footage, the appropriate silence. He will be in all our thoughts and genuinely this is not a man who will just slip away; he was a very important figure in a lot of people’s lives and we will all miss him greatly.”

Whiteley’s family explained how, in his final hours last Sunday, he was still listening in to Hull on the radio as they secured an opening day win at Wakefield Trinity.

They will look to back that up today against the champions in a fixture which is also the second to be shown live in the new broadcast deal with Channel 4.

The first was a week ago when Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves produced a fittingly incident-packed contest as the inaugural Super League game to be broadcast live on terrestrial television. Channel 4 were delighted with the audience figures which peaked at an impressive 735,000 viewers and there was widespread praise for the quality of the production.

Pearson admitted: “It couldn’t have gone much better. I was at Headingley on the day to watch it live and the game had everything.

“Horrible weather, a bit of bish and bosh and some good rugby league. I thought Leeds were unlucky to lose on the day as they played really well.

“We’ve obviously got to get used to this new implementation of the head high tackle and it’s affected us to some degree with Jake (Connor).

“But on the whole I thought it was a fantastic advert for rugby league and there is a general feeling of enthusiasm and positivity about the game for this season. The gates look so much better: Castleford got a great attendance (sold-out 10,500), there was a great crowd (of 14,000) at Leeds and we’re expecting a very nice attendance here on Saturday as well.”

Indeed, Hull, who endured wretched home form last year, hope to see around 13,000 fans attend the lunchtime kick-off.

Obviously, they are without England star Connor who was red-carded for a high tackle against Wakefield and serves a one-game ban.

Leeds’ James Bentley was sent off as well for a high tackle the day previously, and a clampdown on dangerous challenges has been one of the main talking points this week.

Hull have also seen Andre Savelio suspended for two matches but hope to deliver another treat for potential new television viewers of the sport today. Pearson said: “It would be good to back-up that Leeds/Warrington game.

“And that’s why it is disappointing we are missing so many senior players.

“I think we have nine out this Saturday. But the boys who came in at Wakefield - like the two young centres Cam Scott and Connor Wynne - did ever so well.

“And the four new debutants (Luke Gale, Darnell McIntosh, Joe Lovodua and Kane Evans) have really changed the personality of the squad as much as anything else.

“They all seem to want to come here and win things. There’s a very good spirit within the squad but we are well aware that St Helens are the champions of this league for a very good reason.

“They seem to have got a full squad bar Regan Grace so their conditioning is working well as well. We are going to have to take a few weeks to get hitting our straps fully but what you can be assured of this week is that the lads will be given it their all and we’ll try to sneak one over the champions.”