Former Leeds Rhinos hero Tom Briscoe rejoins Hull FC in Leigh Leopards swap deal

Briscoe has signed an 18-month contract after leaving Leigh Leopards as part of a swap deal which saw fellow back Darnell McIntosh move the other way. The 34-year-old made 147 appearances for Hull between 2008 and 2013 before signing for Rhinos. He joined Leigh ahead of the 2023 campaign.

The former England international won three Grand Finals and three Challenge Cups with Leeds and collected the Lance Todd Trophy, as Wembley man of the match, following a five-try performance in the 50-0 rout of Hull KR 10 years ago.

Briscoe, who was also a try scorer when Leigh beat Hull KR in last year’s Cup final, has been sidelined by a calf injury, but will link up with his new teammates ahead of Sunday’s clash with Rhinos at MKM Stadium. He said: “It's really exciting to be coming back to Hull FC.

“Having been at the club many years ago - and it being the place where I started my career - it holds a lot of special memories for me. The move came out of the blue over the last 24 hours, but it's an opportunity for me to join the club at an exciting period and also gives me a chance to share my experience with a promising group of young players.”

Briscoe was a Rhinos teammate of Hull’s new director of rugby Richie Myler. Myler said: “Bringing Tom back to the club where he made his debut was an easy decision for me.

“He has enjoyed the experience of being in a winning environment over the past decade and is going to play an integral role in helping develop some of our younger players over the next 18-months. He is still performing at a consistently high level every time he takes to the field and I know he will relish the opportunity to pull on a black and white jersey once more and represent the club where he made his name at the beginning of his career. We're excited for Tom to link up with the group over the next few days and begin to share his wealth of knowledge and experience across our young squad.”

McIntosh, who joined Hull from Huddersfield Giants ahead of the 2022 season, scored 23 tries in 53 appearances for the East Yorkshire club.