McNamara and Cayless begin contrasting rebuilds at Hull ahead of 2027 Super League season

Steve McNamara and Nathan Cayless have taken charge of Hull FC and Hull KR respectively in Hull as both clubs prepare for the 2027 Super League season. The pair arrive with different briefings and pedigrees as each club looks to reverse recent fortunes.

McNamara, 55, returns to Hull FC 30 years after leaving as a player and made 162 appearances for the club from 1989-1996; his appointment was announced in April while he was still an assistant coach at Warrington under Sam Burgess. Hull FC finished 11th last term, missing the play-offs for a sixth consecutive season, and manager changes followed a turbulent 2026 that prompted John Cartwright’s departure. In the close season the club have confirmed 10 signings including Bailey Hodgson from Leigh, Arlix Da Costa from Catalans and Daly Cherry-Evans, and have also completed a deal reported as a substantial transfer fee to secure McNamara's services.

McNamara pointed to the club’s history and his personal connection on taking the job, including recent family ties through his son Ben who played for Hull FC between 2020 and 2023 and is now at Castleford. "I'm really proud and honoured," McNamara told BBC Radio Humberside. "The history that it's got, and the great coaches that it's had, it's my time now to take over the baton."

The new head coach has prioritised improving fitness and performance structures after complaints about conditioning and second-half fades last season; he has recruited Nathan Mills from St Helens as medical high-performance specialist and Jimmy McDaniel as head of performance from Kingston Rovers, both described by McNamara as "world class." He said: "No disrespect to anyone else but I don't think the investment in that area [strength and conditioning] has been good enough and we've backed some high-quality people to be involved in our organisation." The club have also made other squad adjustments, with the headline that Hull FC sign Kerr and release forward Bell.

Cayless, 48, arrives at Hull KR as his first role as a head coach after serving as an assistant coach of New Zealand following a decade-long playing career with the Kiwis; he also spent 13 years as a player for the Parramatta Eels before becoming an assistant coach for the Sydney-based club following his retirement in 2010. The Robins appointed him to succeed Super League-winner Willie Peters with a brief framed around evolution rather than revolution after the club’s recent successes.

Hull KR’s recent honours include a 2025 treble and a subsequent World Club Challenge win in February to complete all four major honours, but a disappointing defence of their Super League title last season left scope for change and fresh ideas. Cayless has identified getting more from influential half-back Mikey Lewis as a priority, with the article noting that "on too many occasions last season, it was a case of if you could stop Lewis, you could stop the Robins entirely." Cayless said of the club and his arrival: "It [seeing Craven Park for the first time] was surreal. I didn't get the opportunity to play over here but now to be a part of it is very exciting." He also paid tribute to conversations with Peters, saying Peters was clear on how much "care and love" is put into the club by the staff.

Cayless described his family’s role in the decision to move and his measured approach to taking the job: "When this opportunity arose, we sat down as a family and without our kids' buy-in it was going to be pretty difficult to do," he told BBC Radio Humberside. "We get one crack at life, and you want to make sure you have no regrets. "I've been coaching for 12 years now and deliberately taking my time." He pledged hard work in pre-season: "What I will promise, we're going to work really hard throughout pre-season," and "I promise that the team is going to be ready to start pre-season. They'll [the players] make their community proud of how they perform."

With three months before the start of the Super League season there remains time for both clubs to prepare and improve, and the two Hull sides have adopted different approaches in pursuit of better results for 2027. What is clear from both appointments is an emphasis on building toward improved performances in the coming season.