Gutted but not surprised by his exit , Scored some crackers for us and was a pleasure watching them also .

Im not really bothered about him going tbh. Yes he can attack and score tries but his defence and positioning wasnt great and were loaded up with wingers and centres

Have to say I agree, will miss his value for money though as 50% of his salary was off the cap this season.

The wing position is the least of our worries.

Love the fact he can create something from nothing.
We’re well stocked for outside backs so, if we’re able, I’d spend the cap money elsewhere.

But 100% of his wage is on the clubs wage bill - id let him go now tbh

Explain to me which of these other centres and wingers puts bums on seats? Which ones are going to be breaking the line like he does, he's been one of the very few to give us excitement in the last couple of years.
You talk about his defensive frailties, what are they precisely? Yes, like most players he has some, but his attacking prowess and what he adds to the team overall far and away exceed this, if you want to point a finger regarding defence then you only need look at how shockingly poor Fonua was in his first stint, he scored some sensational/important tries but he was terrible in defence, far more so than Naulago, yet pretty much everyone welcomed him (Fonua) back with open arms and the massive contract too.
Indeed, doesn't it highlight a failure in bringing in a very high earner in a position we didn't actually need as we are "loaded up" and this has bitten us, as we have no space on cap/money to offer better contract terms?

Also, what was the reason we didn't have Ratu on a longer contract in the first place, was that his or the clubs decision, it's even more gutting knowing we won't get a fee for him on top of losing a quality player.

We signed him as a raw recruit in February 2019, and exercised a one-year extension to his contract in July.

Not much more we could do, especially as by then he'd signed up with a RU agent.

He's a rugby union player that lives in the south west and until last year had absolutely no interest in rugby league. He was always going to go back given the opportunity, the fact the money he was offered is beyond anything he could ever earn in rugby league sealed the deal.

He's an exciting player but still very raw, if he was in his early 20's then it would be a huge loss, but he's nearly 29, his one weapon is pace and that's not going to last much longer.

Good luck to him, its been a long journey to get to where he is, he deserves some success.

One weapon, Have you actually watched any of the games, he's more than just a speed merchant, he can actually bend his back and tackle as well, it's a massive loss to the club. One can only hope Fonua has improved his fitness when the season restarts and starts doing the things we know he's capable of.

Hello from Bristol, we'll do our best to look after him. Seemed to really enjoy his time in Hull from his statement.

As for playing I've seen the highlight reels but can't recall him offhand from watching SL on sky this season. Seems he is a physical and quick kind of player, just the kind we need on the wing right now? Anything else we should know?

We'd also welcome new fans to following us (can watch all our games free on prem rugby website on following Monday/Tuesday if you don't have BT), think you'd like our Bears style of play as it's not a forward-driven grindfest and like to sling it about (barring bad weather earlier this season) plus we not like toffs at London clubs/unmentionables down the road. Drink up thy zider innum

Hello Rinkadink

Ratu only played in three of our seven games so far this season although that did include a two try performance at Leeds on the opening day.

Brief highlights here [urlhttps://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/leeds-vs-hull/report/52660[/url

Ratu became a big favourite with Hull fans. He is super fast and powerful. Particularly memorable was a try at Catalans when he took posession almost on our own dead ball line and went literally the full length of the field. Downside is ocasionally his defensive lapses and positional play.

I will certainly look out for him should Bristol be on Sky Sports. Good luck for when your season starts.

I know somebody Welsh down my local so count me in mate.

Cheers, still not sure when our season is going to start. All a mess TBH. Pat Lam our head coach/DoR says it will take 4 weeks to get everyone physically ready even though the squad have been training from home. That's without getting to transfers/new signings who's contracts normally start on the 1st June or thereabouts, could be Sinckler effectively switches club mid season which is rare. I think Ratu said he would see the season out with Hull first if needed though? Be fine with that even though Bristol let go a good chunk of our back 3 players.

Any news on when super league is starting again? Thrown my rugby addiction way off kilter; Union in winter and League for summer with some mad weeks when the seasons overlap for a bit.

The plan is for Super League ro restart in August. Things have been further complicated in that a few games at the start of the season were postponed due to bad weather so whilst Hull FC have played seven games, some clubs have only played four or five. The first couple of weeks in August are planned to complete the postponed fixtures with all team back playing by mid August.

We have got cover, but nobody can do what Ratu does.
He will be a loss, and maybe because he wasn’t entrenched in the game he was prepared to do something different.

All players have defensive frailties, especially out wide where players get exposed.

Big loss, but we’ve got cover and good luck to him (it was always going to happen).

Anyone who thinks Ratu cant defend should take a look at his try saving tackle on Handley at Leeds earlier this season.

One good tackle doesn't make him a great defender, he was badly out of position early in the game when Hadley should have scored, but he messed up.

I don't his defender is a problem, more his positional sense (Although Fonua and Faraimo also both have this issue)

His ability to break the line and go the distance is fantastic, but for a strong player he doesn't make the yards out of his own half, doesn't offload and is weak under the high ball.

Would I have kept him, certainly (Particularly with some of his money off cap), but it certainly isn't the end of the world and we have good players already in that position.

We certainly have more to worry about than wingers.

Really need a stand off or a full back.

... cap reduction only lasts 2 years.

Well I was at Headingley when Ratu skinned Konrad, and laid on that try. I was at Wakey when with finesse power and speed he destroyed Wakey beating man after man, I was at Cas when Ratu Jake and Albi did them. There’s a list of fabulous tries and try scoring assists he’s set up, he has made this old codger jump up in the rain hail and sun, in an ideal world we would have kept him, but it isn’t to be, he has also banged some right tackles in, that made the opposition shudder, the best winger on our books, and will be badly missed. Good luck Ratu you have earned this pay day.

We don’t need anything this year, if we have good players to cover Ratu in his position, we certainly have enough to cover Jamie and Albert respectively. Whilst next season we need to replace Albert allegedly, I don’t buy into this negative talk regarding Jamie Shaul, in my humble opinion Hull should get him tied up before another club does, and then let our new coach work on his much talked about decision making.

There you go, talking sense again. This^^^^^

I didnt mention needing any players for this year, Ratu is leaving at the end of the year, so I was talking about key recruitment for next season.

Shaul is a good runner, but unless he learns to pass etc in the final 20 he will never be a top class FB, he is a luxury player. The amount of times the attack breaks down when he gets the ball is far too much.

Rewatch the Recent Warrington game

Pause and rewind Warringtons tries

Then talk about Shauls defence, it was abysmal

Its not just his attack, its his judgement coming into the defence line as well as his attitude defending thats not the greatest

So update from Bears today; season aiming to resume on August 15th. Didn't say if it's in full yet or what but it is the apparent date. Don't know what this means for Ratu, if anything. Bristol have released 20 players already so effectively finishing the season with next season's squad AFAIK.

Bonus video of all our tries this season as it buzzed me AF

(Got similar for FC?)

[youtubeg6XrteCx_vo[/youtube

Final match of the regular season should have been October 10th

, followed by internationals, and his contract would formally end on 1st November.

Anybody's guess what's actually happening at the moment.