Please tell me this isn't you 'setting us straight'. Idiot.

If he can't get a gig back home, what are we a stepping stone to, precisely?

I've always thought of him as a prop but Leeds fans suggesting he's a back row. Right now our props for next season are not quite balanced. It needs one of Ogre/Moa or a new signing.

Pitts is an average signing for me but with the potential to be a very good one. He is big, strong, good hands and quick. So far had not realised his potential but hopefully will do soon.

You mean like Jason Smith? That'll do for me

Without O'Meley and Moa, our props for next season are looking distinctly average (Lynch aside).

I really hope that Gentle has something much better than that up his sleeve.

I think after what was said about Aspinwall and Martin before the season started I am pretty sure Gentle knows what hes doing they have surprised a lot of people on here. Recrutment under the new regieme has been astute at the very least.

Can see where you're coming from, there is a potential worry that our front row may end up counting the cost of our back row in terms of cap balance, but it's very early days for recruitment/retention. Hopefully there'll either be one of Moa/O'Meley staying on or a top notch prop brought in, or in an ideal world one of each.

I think it is safe to say that we have had shown to us already this season so far that our management and coaching team know exactly what they are doing so far so for me its a massive welcome to the lad and lets hope he fulfills the potential many say he has... I have a close pal Rhinos fan and he says it is madness to have gifted him to us.... says it all well done again, young British , powerful and potential cant ask for more eh

Every body as to start some were
You start at the bottom and work your way to the top, If after using us has a stepping stone to get to the top Hull would have had to won things for people to rate P Gentle .You have not heard P Gentle talk he has stated he wants
to extend his contract at Hull because he is not in it short term .If he makes Hull successful and we go on to win things ,then the man goes good luck to him .in life you try to better yourself .But if he doesn't do it for Hull A P will get rid

IIRC Gareth Carvell was another bag-of-shoite forward that Leeds supporters were glad to see the back of and "dumped" on us

Totally agree. I trust Gentle and AP to do the right thing and it is early days.

I do worry though that next season's formidable and expensive backrow is going to come at the expense of our front row.

Good point well made.

From HULLFC

With Gentle keen to develop a new expansive style of play at the Black and Whites, Pitts seems to be a player that fits the bill.

Being able to play a number of positions and with a good footballing brain, Hull’s coach believes they’ve landed a player with the potential to enhance the current squad even further.

“Whilst he’s known predominantly as an edge back rower, he can actually play at prop as well and that is where we anticipate using him.

“He was named Man of the Match against London last year playing there and looked very strong and he fits what we’re trying to build with a mobile pack and will suit our game.

“He is a skilful player, he is strong, has a good work ethic and there isn’t one person who has a bad word to say about him so he is exactly the kind of the quality character we want at this club.

“We want players with genuine talent and we’re confident we can bring the best out of him and in having another young, talented English forward it compliments the rest of the team we’re assembling.”

With a number of clubs rumoured to being interesting in opening talks with the player, including Leeds who were keen to retain his services, Hull FC’s Director of Rugby, Shaun McRae, is thrilled to have got ahead of the game to secure a deal for the player.

“We’re really happy to have got this deal over the line and we firmly believe we’ve been able to bring in an exciting young player that can really grow in our side.

“We had discussed him internally as a player to watch and with the chance to open discussions with both the player and the club we moved very quickly.”

He continued, “It’s another example of our commitment to the future and our recruitment process will remain ongoing.

“At the same time, we are looking at a number of players within our own ranks that we would like to keep and they’re all vying for new deals and putting their hand up which is good to see and very healthy.”

Who's his agent?

Eric Hall

Bingo.

With no fee and Leeds looking to keep him, why else would they let him go halfway through the season?

Link also mentions he was Ellis's protege. Wonder if the speed of this is the result of Ellis mentioning him to Hull, initially for next year - now brought forward because of the current situation?

Let's hope he's a monster, then.

I'll get me coat.

I've been thinking about that, and if there's any truth in it I don't think it can have been for that long, really. Pitts will have only been 16 when Ellis left Wakey and Ellis had already left Leeds by the time he went there. So there might have a been a bit of interaction at Wakey when Pitts was in the youth setup there, but IIRC wasn't Ellis mainly a centre and occasional stand off when there? Can't really see him working with the young forwards too much then.

Great Signing.. Young English Forward.. Cant wait to see him play.

When he broke on the scene at Wakey he looked the best young forward about, his career seems to have stagnated slightly, hopefully a move to us will get his career back on track, decent signing that could turn into an excellent one.

think with regular first team game time he'll shoot up the stats charts

I hope he does well, from everything I've read his attitude seems very good and he's still ambitious.

Good move for all concerned. When everyone's fit Pitts struggles to get a game for Leeds, and I think he's got trapped in a bit of a vicious cycle of playing the odd game here and there and sometimes understandably struggling when he does play. He's probably also suffered from Leeds not being quite sure whether he's a prop or second row.

He may not be the only departure from Leeds, as we still have IMO a couple too many 'squad' forwards who's places would be better taken by the next generation from the U20s.

Also good to see that Hull are recognising the value in getting good British players signed up. I'd far rather see the likes of Pitts playing regularly in SL than some marginally better Aussie.

I agree entirely will be a good signing for us and will only get better with game time which eluded him at Leeds.

If leeds were looking to keep him they'd have kept him. He's been there 3 years and made only a handful of 1st team appearances whilst leeds have brought through plenty of other young players in the same period. If they felt he was top class he'd still be there.

We've signed a leeds reserve grade player who may go on to be a decent player for us but who is a poor replacement for either moa or o'meley at this stage of his career.