Hull FC might have fallen to a third straight defeat when they went down to Catalans on Monday, but one overriding positive was the performance of youngster Nick Rawsthorne.
The 21-year-old capped just his second Super League appearance with two tries in France and was named as the club’s official man of the match.
Youngster @NickRawsthorne grabbed a double last night on his second appearance for the club ? pic.twitter.com/yd1SppIrxu
— Hull FC (@hullfcofficial) May 30, 2017
Rawsthorne joined the club from Halifax in the off-season and following a successful loan spell with York City Knights, he made his debut in black and white against Leigh Centurions last Friday.
Although the youngster admitted that he was delighted to get his first tries for the club, he was more satisfied with other elements of his performance.
“I would prefer the win,” Rawsthorne told TotalRL.
“The tries are a bonus, but I was more pleased with my carries as I was able to bring the team forward. In my eyes the tries were just walk-ins, Jake Connor did the work for me.
“My first game wasn’t great but wasn’t bad, I just played it safe, but I felt like I was able to show and do more yesterday. I made a few errors, but I think the positives outweighed the negatives from a personal perspective.
“I’m just grateful that Lee Radford has given me the opportunity and I hope I can get a few more shots this season.”
Having now got his first taste of Super League action, Rawsthorne is determined to force his way into contention more regularly moving forward.
“I’m not going to be getting selected in front of Mahe Fonua or Fetuli Talanoa at this stage but I want to be competing for that third spot,” he said.
“It’s good to have that depth in the squad and to have had a go at Super League, I hope I can give Lee Radford a headache.
“I’m just keen to keep improving and working hard. Hopefully, I get a few more appearances and try to compete for that place in the squad.”