Blacklock geared for Hull success

[God-King Dean]

Blacklock geared for Hull success

http://www.nrl.com/news.cfm?id=10323

17 December 2004


New Hull signing Nathan Blacklock believes the club have what it takes to lift the Super League crown in 2005.

Australian international Blacklock arrived in England on Wednesday after joining Hull on a two-year deal and believes he has already seen enough to convince him he has made the right move.

The 28-year-old winger, who has sacrificed spending Christmas in his home country to join his new team-mates a fortnight early, said: "I wanted to come over in plenty of time so that when the season gets going I can hit the ground running.

"By coming over before I was supposed to I have made that break and now there is no looking back. I wanted to prove to the players and the fans of the club that I have the desire and the passion to be here."

The former St George Illawarra star, who also had a spell in rugby union with New South Wales Waratahs, had an injury-hit 2004 but now claims he is fit and raring to go.

"I had a hamstring injury last season which meant my spell with St George ended on bad note but I'm now completely over that," he said.

"I haven't come over here to go home empty-handed. I firmly believe that this club is capable of winning trophies next season and I hope that I can play my part in that."

Blacklock arrives at the KC Stadium with a big reputation after topping the NRL tryscoring charts in three consecutive seasons after joining the Dragons.

The twice-capped Kangaroo insists however he has no interest in personal records and is interested only in helping Hull to glory.

"Obviously there are some special players in Super League, the likes of [Lesley] Vainikolo and [Danny] McGuire, who scored lots of tries last season," he added.

"It would be nice to get up there with them but the success of the team comes way before anything I want to do. I'll see how the season pans out for me in that respect."

 

[DIEHARD]

I think Blacklock will go very well with Hull.

 

[God-King Dean]

He'd be like Radlinski me thinks

 

[JasonE]

Hull have a very good team in 2005, they will challenge for top 3 i think

 

[Mulch]

Yeah Hull FC play some pretty good footie. With the Likes of Blacklock, Stephen Kearney, Richard Swain, Shaun Briscoe and Richard Horne.
There Side for Next Season will look like this:
1. Briscoe
2. Blacklock
3. Yeamen
4. Eagar
5. Raynor
6. Horne
7. Lupton
8. Carvell
9. Swain
10. Dowes
11. Kearney
12. McNicholas
13. Cooke
14. Whiting
15. Tony
16. Chester
17. Horne

 

[JasonE]

Yes, good side you've picked there, though my side would include the up and coming Whiting instead of Eager and Paul King instead of Dowes with Dowes back on the bench.

 

[God-King Dean]

Is the McNicholas in the Hull side the same McNicholas that played for Cronulla Sharks?

 

[God-King Dean]

 

[nqboy]

Is the McNicholas in the Hull side the same McNicholas that played for Cronulla Sharks?

...and failed so miserably at the Cowboys?

 

[The Whippet]

Yeah it is the same Paul McNicholas who played for North Queensland, South Sydney and Cronulla.

 

[God-King Dean]

Is the McNicholas in the Hull side the same McNicholas that played for Cronulla Sharks?

...and failed so miserably at the Cowboys?

:| Didn't even know he played for Nth QLD :?

 

[Mulch]

Yeah played there in 2003, If I remember correctly. He joined them the year Kevin Campion signed aswell.

 

[God-King Dean]

http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article/articletemp.asp?num=6952

Hull FC's exciting new winger Nathan Blacklock is being tipped to become a black and white legend in Super League X by head coach John Kear.

The 28-year-old three-time NRL top try-scorer has impressed Kear since his early arrival for his first taste of Super League football.
And Kear said: "I really do believe Nathan will become a cult hero with the Hull FC fans."

Kear has no doubts Blacklock is here to make a name for himself in the British game.

Now he hopes he will continue the form which brought him international recognition and made him one of the most lethal try scorers in Australian rugby league history.

During a glittering career with St George, Blacklock became one of only three players ever to top the Australian try-scoring charts in three successive years, between 1999 and 2001.

It turned the man from Tingha, who was introduced to Australian Rugby League by former Hull coach Noel "Crusher" Cleal, into a legend.

He has amassed over 100 tries in the Aussie game and had a spell in Rugby Union with the New South Wales Wharatahs, before deciding he needed a new challenge.

That opened the door for Hull to step in and give him a chance to ply his trade in the Super League.

After a season hampered by a hamstring injury, the former St George-Illawarra star made the decision to come to England a couple of weeks before the rest of the club's overseas players.

It is a decision that's left a lasting mark on Kear, who revealed: "There is no way this lad has come over here to pick up a pension.

"He has come here to prove something and the people who will benefit from that will be our fans sat in the stands.

"What he has shown on the training field is so exciting and already we have seen some scorched earth on our training pitch.

"Make no mistakes, he is fast. In fact, he's really fast - and he has integrated magnificently with the rest of the players.

"Every session you can see he's getting to know the rest of the lads better and they are getting to know him better.

"In our last session before the new year we had a semi-opposed session and he just strode through the middle of the field, popping up where you wouldn't expect. You just know that once he hits the fresh air you can start clapping.

"He has settled in well and I am absolutely delighted with his attitude, which has been first class.

That's why I have no doubts he will become an invaluable asset to the side and to the club as a whole.

"Nathan is so elusive and the fact he pops up all over the place makes him such a dangerous player.

"With a player like this you don't just bring him over to stick on the wing. He has a licence to do what he does best and I have no doubts the fans will love him.

"In the couple of weeks he has been with us, it has been a genuine joy to work with the guy."

 

[God-King Dean]

I thought I'd just add this article here instead of making another thread....


Hull has winning blend - Kearney

www.nrl.com

8 January 2005


Stephen Kearney believes that the right combination of hard work and professionalism can help steer Hull to Super League glory this coming season.

The New Zealander, who has arrived at the KC Stadium on a two-year deal from Australian side Melbourne Storm arrived in England this week and says that once he had made his decision to leave the NRL, Hull were the only club that he was interested in joining.

The 32-year-old second row forward said: "In a way I wish I had have come over here earlier. The set-up of the club is fantastic and just through watching games on television you can see the passion of the supporters is tremendous.

"Hull is a very similar club to Melbourne. We don't have the stars that the likes of Bradford, Leeds and Wigan have, and we don't go in for the razzmatazz of being a big club, we have a lot of hard workers and our fair share of game breakers.

"That is how I like my clubs to be and for those reasons I only wanted to come here."

A veteran of close to 250 NRL appearances and with 44 international caps under his belt, Kearney says that his experience will prove vital when the season begins in February.

"Throughout my career I have prided myself on always standing up to be counted on game day. That means that my training and preparation is meticulous and I don't like to leave anything to chance. Hopefully I can help the young blokes in the squad as and when they need it in any area I can."

Hull's new coach John Kear has put his squad through an intense pre-season training programme which Kearney believes will hold the squad in good stead for the season which could ultimately end in glory.

He said: "Rugby league isn't just about 80 minutes on a weekend it's about what you do one the training pitch during the week. Hopefully when our backs are against the wall in games we can call on the tough work we have done over the winter, remember those long runs to the hills and all the weights we have lifted to inspire us.

"I believe that if we can work hard and stay professional we have a good chance of going all the way."

Kearney is joined at Hull by fellow New Zealander, utility player Motu Tony, who after a turbulent spell at relegated Castleford last season, is now hoping for a period of stability with the Black and Whites.

"Castleford was tough for me but now I am here at a club that is run in the right way and with good players around me I am confident of getting my career really up and running," he said.

Both players however acknowledge that their respective moves are in no small part to the clubs captain, fellow Kiwi Richard Swain.

"The fact that Richard was here meant that the decision was a hundred times easier," said Tony.

"He was the first person I spoke to and once he had told me about the way things are here all I had to do was sign."

Kearney, although three years Swain's senior, says that the chance to play with his former Melbourne team-mate again was too hard to resist: "A move away from your homeland is always tough but the chance to be here with Richard has made my decision all the more worthwhile," he added.

Kear, who has taken over as head coach from Shaun McRae believes that the signings of Kearney and Tony are a sign of how the club have progressed over the last five years.

He said: "When we first joined Super League we were here to participate. The last couple of seasons we have been here to compete. I now believe that we are here to win and stand up to the likes of Leeds and Bradford. The fact that Stephen and Motu have come here is testament to that. They are exceptional players but they are also exceptional human beings. That is what this club is all about."

 

[Mulch]

Hull Fc had a nice 54-12 win over Hull Kingston Rovers.
Hull FC 54 - Hull KR 12

Hull FC blasted past local rivals Hull KR in the Clive Sullivan Memorial Trophy at the KC Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

It was the perfect start for head coach John Kear and his side opened the scoring after just 54 seconds when new signing Tommy Saxton powered over on debut. The impressive Gareth Raynor notched his first try which doubled their advantage shortly afterwards.

Aussie speedster Nathan Blacklock scored a sensational try also on debut for the Black and Whites as their Super League class proved too much for Harvey Howard's Rovers side.

Led sensationally by Paul Cooke at loose forward, Hull FC had too much pace, power and vision as they swept aside the Rovers' valiant challenge in front of a healthy 14,540 crowd.

Chris Chester, Kirk Yeaman, Andy Last, Shaun Briscoe and Danny Hill also went over, with Raynor also adding a sensational second try to his tally. Cooke booted nine goals out of nine attempts to complete the rout.