Young Hull FC winger Harvey Barron won the praise of coach Brett Hodgson after bouncing back from a tough night against Wakefield with his two-try showing against Toulouse.
It’s been quite a learning curve for the 19-year-old England Academy international, who after being farmed out on loan to Whitehaven, made his third appearance for the Black and Whites in the 38-12 home win over the French side, against whom he made a scoring debut from the bench in last month’s 30-6 away win.
Hull suffered four straight defeats in between, with Barron selected to face Wakefield, only to struggle against a resurgent Trinity side who won 26-18.
He was left out for the trip to Salford, where Hodgson’s side were beaten 28-18, but recalled for the Toulouse showdown which came just three days later.
And it was a much happier experience for the 6ft 3in Beverley Braves product, who shone at football in his early teens and was on the books of Scunthorpe United before focusing on Rugby League.
Barron went over for the first two of his side’s seven tries in a victory which provided a pick-me-up for the club ahead of the season-ending home derby against Hull KR, with neither of the rivals having made the play-offs.
“I was delighted for him,” said Hodgson.
“He was hurting after the Wakefield game and we all did our best to try to put a bit of confidence back into him, but ultimately, he had to put the performance in himself.
“I was unbelievably proud of him and really pleased he got rewarded with a couple of big moments.”
Meanwhile Hodgson has called on centre Cameron Scott to “unlock” his full potential after signing a one-year contract extension (the club have the option of adding a further twelve months).
The 22-year Academy product has just returned from ankle and thigh injuries, and Hodgson added: “I really like him, he’s a great kid. He respects what he has to do for the team and still has so much potential to unlock.
“It’s time for him to prove he deserves a place week after week.”
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