Hull FC half-back Jack Charles thought 2023 was a whirlwind year. He had no idea what 2024 had in store for him.
After making his academy and reserves bow last year, the teenager has debuted in Super League and gone on to feature in eight senior games for Hull this year. It’s been some rise, with the player rewarded with a new and improved contract to keep him at the club until at least the end of the 2026 season.
And while Charles been taken out of the Hull limelight in recent weeks, the smile on his face hasn’t gone anywhere, with Charles shining in an eye-catching reserves performance against Leeds Rhinos last Saturday. For the former Beverley Braves junior, who carries a swagger about him, that’s what it’s all about.
“That’s personally how I want to play, that eyes up brand,” a gleaming Charles said after Hull’s 26-18 win over the Rhinos. “I don’t need to overplay, but I need to create oppurtunities for my teammates and give them the space and time to score some points.
“That’s my job, and I love doing it. Yeah, we were a bit rusty in the first half, but we won’t look at the negatives, we’ll look at the positives and the second half was a lot better. It was a good win.”
Managing a slight knock to his knee, Charles returned to the Hull reserves line-up after playing for the academy at Castleford Tigers. He last featured in Super League at London last month, with the teen admitting he’s been carefully managed after his first-team spell, with the club cautious not to overexpose him after a frantic few weeks.
“There was a period after (the London game) where the coaching staff said to me they didn’t want me playing for a few weeks,” Charles revealed. “Instead, I worked in the gym, and tried to put a bit of size on and get a bit bigger and work on things that I believe I can improve.
“As a player you always want to play, but I get it, and the club are looking out for me. It’s allowed me to focus on little things after training and away from training; like my tackle technique and things like that.
It’s that kind of practice that sets you apart. The more time I spend practicing, the more repetitions I get; this is something I’ve always done in an effort to improve both personally and, ideally, to improve my teammates on the field. That’s how you get better.”
Charles wants to get better overall, and now that his new contract has been announced, he is more motivated than ever to continue learning at Hull FC.Charles went on, “I love playing for this club and I love being here.” “Having the support of the club is encouraging, but I still need to put in a lot of effort over the next two years and hopefully beyond.” Although I’m eager for the future, nothing changes for the time being. Win, lose, draw, the next day I wake up
“I’m still learning every day and every week. My launch year has always been this one. That was the plan, but it happened faster than I thought. Even though everything is moving so rapidly, I’m thankful because this is everything I’ve ever wanted to do.
Even though things haven’t always been simple, things will eventually get better. Right now, all I have to focus on is playing as hard as I can and completing the repetitions. I’m limited to doing that.
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