Tony Smith marked the beginning of his reign as Hull FC Head coach with a hard fought friendly win sheffield Which was overshadowed by the encouraging sight of an impressive comeback by Cater.
Smith, who switched from Hole KR Last year, new Australian recruits Tex Hoy and Jake Clifford produced a strong second-half comeback from the start for the championship side to win a hard-fought 22-20.
But arguably Smith’s biggest positive was the 24-year-old Ketter escaping a 17-month-long injury nightmare, midway through a 40-minute comeback bid in March that resulted in a re-rupture of his Achilles injury .
Smith was full of praise for the loose forward, who appeared off the bench just before the interval as he expedited the changes, saying: “Joe handled it really well and got it without any damage.” Very nice to see.
“He’s on top of things and he’s been convincing for a while, but it’s another thing to go out on the pitch and do it again.”
Cater himself is confident he will emerge as a stronger individual and player thanks to the experience, and is looking forward to playing an integral role in Smith’s new look. super league The season is starting next month.
“It’s been 17 months since I’ve been fit and injury free off that pitch, so it was a real box-tick for me today,” said Cator, who manned the back row for periods in the second half.
“17 months with 40 minutes in between has been a long time. I want to play it down, but in the back of my mind I’m proud of myself. It’s been a long time and getting on the field means a lot to me.
“I think if you do anything like that it makes you a better person, and mentally it makes me stronger. If I can get over it and start playing again, it gives me a lot of confidence.” Get.”
Meanwhile, Smith, whose team’s ability to bring back an eight-point half-time deficit was largely due to a 20-minute cameo appearance by former Leeds hooker Brad Dwyer, believes his side can find their way into the new campaign. Doing it easy.
“We’re a little undercooked,” Smith admitted. “I know some teams started before us and probably did some tougher things than us.
“I’m just wary of over-baking. You can put the cake back in the oven if it’s not fully cooked, and we’re probably not cooked enough yet, but we’ve still got a month to go.”