New Hull FC captain Luke Gale says he will lead by example

The England scrum-half, who was stripped of the Leeds Rhinos captaincy last year prior to his exit in November, is looking forward to proving his worth in the season ahead.

Gale, 33, also led former club Castleford Tigers at times and the former Man of Steel has been given the nod by head coach Brett Hodgson who last year had Marc Sneyd - who has since moved to Salford Red Devils - Danny Houghton and Scott Taylor as co-captains.

Gale - the 59th captain in Hull’s history - said: “It’s a massively proud moment for me, and a huge honour and privilege.

“I’m really excited for this opportunity and the year ahead.

“Hull FC is a massive club and I’ve played against this team for many years.

“For my name to be up there with so many of those former captains is really special for me.

“I’ve got a lot of experience - this is my 14th pre-season and I’ve played a lot of games.

“I’m not perfect, and I don’t have every answer, but I go out there and give it 110% and put the team first every time I go onto the field.

“I do my best to lead from the front, and lead by example.”

He added: “I want to thank Danny Houghton and Scott Taylor, who I think who have done a great job with the captaincy; there are a lot of leaders in this team and they’re two of the biggest.

“They’re both stalwarts and a modern day legends for what they have given to this team.”

Hodgson added: “Luke has come to our club with outstanding pedigree.

“He has played at an international level, and the amount of leadership he has brought into our group has been immense.

“He leads by example, he isn’t afraid to challenge senior players but he encourages junior players too, which is an important trait for our captain.

“I said at the back end of last year that we were going to change our captain and I think he is a fresh voice who can inspire those around him.

“I’m impressed with what he has shown so far and I’m excited to see more from him.”