WHEN you’re about to play a pivotal role for your side at Wembley and being talked about as a contender to play in an Ashes series, your season can’t be going too badly.
But Jez Litten believes he still has improvement left in him following a superb start to 2025.
The Hull KR hooker has been one of the standout number nines in the competition, and, with fellow hookers Michael McIlorum and Bill Leyland out injured, Litten has even had to play the full 80 minutes in recent weeks.
“It’s different playing that physical part at the start of both halves and then picking your opportunities, but it’s something I am getting used to,” Litten says.
“Fitness is something I have worked a lot on as well as game management. I worked a lot on it during pre-season and experience helps.
“You have to pick your moments in games. I feel like I’ve got a lot more growth in me.
“I’m still searching for that 80-minute performance where I can come off the pitch and say that I have been happy with my whole game.
“But I can only improve on the training pitch and that’s what I am trying to do.”
It’s a mentality that appears to be shared by the whole group, looking at every way they can improve despite spending most of the year so far at the top of the Super League table as well as enjoying a run to the Challenge Cup final.
“We know we can be better. You never want to be comfortable where you are, you want to be evolving and improving as a team,” Litten adds.
“We’re good as a team at holding each other accountable. When we know we need to be better, it gets called out. I think it’s good we have that in our team. We’re honest with each other.
“That’s better than it coming from the coaches. We can recognise that and call it out when we need to, as well as calling out when we’re doing things well.
“And there are a lot of people (who do that), it’s not just our captain. We’ve got a lot of leaders in our team.”
Fuelling Litten’s drive on and off the field is the birth of his young daughter, Betsy, last November, with the hooker conscious of his new responsibilities.
“She is my purpose – I want to go out on the pitch and do her proud,” he says.
“I want her to look back and say my dad played in that big game. I know a lot of the boys have kids and have the same mindset.
“My partner is unbelievable and she’s a really good mum and has pointed me in the right direction.
“My baby comes to the home games when it’s an earlier kick-off and it’s not too loud and hopefully she can come to more if the weather is okay!
“All these big games but especially a final, you want to do it for your family members. I do it for my daughter, my partner, my mum and dad.”
There might be other big games to come this season, and not just because Hull KR are keen to avenge last year’s Grand Final defeat.
Indeed, Saturday might not be his only appearance at Wembley this season, with the first match of England’s autumn series with Australia to be played at the national stadium and Litten potentially is in with a shout of representing his country.
He adds: “That would be unbelievable (to get picked), it’s the pinnacle to represent your country for me.
“I would be so proud to do that but obviously I’ve got to perform at Hull KR week in, week out. There are lots of good hookers in Super League.
“I’ve got to park that; I can’t think about it too much. I’ve got to think about turning up each week for our boys and then hopefully put myself in the window at the end of the year.”