 Following from a 1985-86 stint with English club Widnes, Cleal returned to English rugby league in 1989 for two seasons with Hull after injury had restricted him to only 4 games for Manly during the 1989 Winfield Cup season.Cleal retired from playing following the 1990–91 season, during which he had become coach of Hull following the departure of Brian Smith to St George.This included coaching Hull (from the sidelines) when they played the Bob Fulton coached Australians at The Boulevard during the 1990 Kangaroo Tour in which the Kangaroos defeated Hull 34-4.