Actually its a load of nonsense.

He is not from Hull.. the fact is -he was selected in the Dream Team for Hull FC (not Doncaster) last season
is an indicator of his talent.

I dont subscribe to the theory, of importance of players with a HU postcode on their birth certificate,
my attitude is. if they have enough quality and ability to play for Hull FC- irrespective of place of birth.

Bulking up and defensive frailties are coachable, however.... this is dependent on the player's attitude
and the coaching staff's ability - IMO.

sometime these faults (tackling and positioning) are coachable, but sometimes things are just rooted too deep. last season, he was a unknown quantity, burst onto the scene and nobody knew about his good and bad qualities. they were then spotted and exploited.

crooks and lineham had a cracking first season, that cant be denied, BUT so did kevin penny.

I like to see players coming through our system and make a name for themselves, but if it doesn't work(for whatever reason) like it hasn't with crooks this year, and there is someone out there better then its progression.

I want Hull FC to be challengers for titles, don't care how it comes, if I means losing a player like crooks and getting a player better but older, then so be it. no point in playing young kids threw the system just because that's the in thing to do.

Just very very disappointing. I thought he was a player with natural talent rather than an athlete trained to play rugby and it's sad that , either as a result of his poor attitude , the club's inability to coach and manage him or some other unknown reason , we won't get the chance to see his potential be realised or not in an FC shirt. It's sad that kids with natural instinctive ability have seemingly , these days , to give way to robotic power when the thing most people agree is missing from our game is guile , skill and grey matter. It's ironic that he's going to try his hand in the NRL a place where you would have thought he'd have no chance if he's too defensively frail for SL. I guess it will at least be interesting to see what happens. I'd love him to succeed and then come back but that combination seems unlikely.

good luck to him, the chance to live and work in Aus for two years is a great opportunity, hope he grabs it with both hands.

What a sentimental bunch we are there's a tear in my eye reading this thread.

Unless Sa is 34 then we haven't replaced Crooks with a 34 year old. Good luck to him in Aus.

The club will retain the player's Super League registration, with the exclusive right to re-sign him should he wish to return to the UK.

I believe this will only have value if he returns within the next two years as he was contracted to FC for those two years. If he sees his contract out in Australia he will be a free agent.

and the award for stating the obvious goes to...............

As has been mentioned before, Kevin Penny was a dream team member after half a season. Thats not always a good indicator of long term talent.

I am surprised at those who say this has been handled badly. Badly by who? The club or the player?

Pearson clearly stated on the radio in the run up to the final game of this season that Crooks has a long term future at the club. At that point in time this Ells deal will have been either done or virtually done, which indicates either Crooks has said he wants to come back to Hull or the intention is to farm him out to get experience in a better competition than the Championship.

No. It's an indicator of how well he played [ilast season[/i.

Nothing's changed. He always needed to bulk up. This season he's been targeted in defence which has further highlighted it. Not having Lineham outside covering for his lapses hasn't helped either.

Lineham has been caught out plenty of times this season so I'm not sure where this idea that he was making Crooks look far in better in defence than he was has come from?

Personally I think it's a real shame the club collectively couldn't find a way to get the best out of Crooks as he undoubtedly has talent.

agree 100%

he'll do well in Aus, I am sure, and we'll regret letting him go.

I think wether or not Crooks come back to Hull depends a lot on how he goes in Australia. Similar to Tom Burgess he will spend next year in the reserves and will get he chance year after next. If he gets bored or sees he chances limited he will be back next year, to Hull. If he sticks it, gets his chance in 2016 and rips it up he will not be back in England for some time and will probably come back in 10 years and sign for a bigger club.