'A great fit': Ex-Leeds Rhinos captain Luke Gale on move to Keighley Cougars after Hull FC disappointment

Gale met Cougars coach Rhys Lovegrove while training at ex-Rhinos conditioner Chris Black’s Driven Athlete gym in Wheetwood, Leeds.

“I know Blacky quite well [and] he told me I would really enjoy myself if I signed for Keighley,” Gale said.

“I’ve met and spoken with Rhys a few times and he is one of the best young coaches within the game right now and we just clicked straight away.”

Gale, who played for England at the 2017 World Cup, began his career in Rhinos’ academy before spells with Doncaster, Harlequins, Bradford Bulls and Castleford Tigers, where he won the Man of Steel honour in 2017.

He rejoined Leeds for the 2020 season and captained them to a Challenge Cup final win that year, but moved to Hull at the end of the following campaign.

He spent one season in East Yorkshire and was without a club before signing a one-year deal with Keighley.

“I feel this will be a great fit for me,” Gale told Cougars’ website. “I want to come here and help these lads compete within the Championship and with the squad we have got, we will definitely be pushing at the right end of the table.”

Gale admitted: “Things have been a bit different for me as it is the first time I have ever gone into a pre-season without a deal at a club.

“I made the decision to train by myself and give myself a couple months out of rugby league after playing and training for 14 straight seasons.

“Last season wasn’t a good year both personally and from a team point of view, but I am in a different stage of my career now and not getting any younger.

“I began my career at this level of the game with Doncaster and feel I have now come full circle.

“I can’t wait to see what the Championship brings this season as there isn’t one standout team and it will be a tough league.”

Cougars finished top of Betfred League One this year, with a 100 per cent winning record.