Why Storton could fill KR void left by Lawler
HULL’S NEW SIGNING HAS GOOD NEWS FOR FANS
If any one game summed up George Lawler’s time at Hull KR, it was the Challenge Cup clash with Castleford Tigers in April. The hardworking forward ran his blood to water but there was no reward at the end of it, which was a theme of his long spell with Rovers.
Lawler played 90 minutes in the middle that night, making 69 tackles in addition to 178 metres from 21 carries in a superhuman effort.
The 26-year-old certainly impressed Castleford, enough to be offered a deal by the West Yorkshire club in the aftermath.
Lawler decided to make the move despite the promise of a significantly improved salary by the Robins. After citing personal reasons, the club were never going to stand in his way.
KR’S longest-serving player certainly leaves a hole off the field; the rest of Tony Smith’s squad have never known the dressing room without Lawler in it.
On the field, Lawler was a reliable performer and somebody his teammates would want alongside them in the trenches.
Lawler was hugely impressive in the first couple of months of the season, averaging 40 tackles across the opening eight matches.
He struggled to maintain those incredibly high standards but remained an important part of the engine room until his time at Rovers was cruelly cut short by a dislocated thumb.
Lawler missed the final five games of the season and with it the chance to appear in his one and only playoff campaign with the Robins.
The middle man deserved a better send-off after giving his all to the club from the moment he made his first-team debut in 2015.
His untimely injury gave KR a glimpse of life without Lawler and Smith would have been encouraged by what he saw.
One player in particular stood up in the absence of Lawler to enhance his burgeoning reputation.
This time last year, Matty Storton was a young second-rower making his way in Super League.
Smith decided to make a change during the off-season, converting the robust forward into a middle.
It proved an inspired decision with Storton improving throughout a breakthrough season at the top level.
The 22-year-old was a regular off the bench for much of the season before getting his chance at loose forward following Lawler’s injury.
After seeing his debut campaign fizzle out, Storton finished 2021 like a man who knows he belongs in Super League.
With the pressure on, the youngster produced some hugely impressive numbers.
Storton averaged 102 metres across the final five matches, a run that began with a dominant performance against Leigh.
Focusing on the final four games during an intense period, Storton averaged 40 tackles.
Those numbers compare favourably with Lawler’s efforts at the start of the season given the high stakes and fatigue factor.
When the news broke about Lawler’s departure in May, it inevitably sparked talk about potential big-name replacements for a tireless worker who was included in the England Knights squad earlier this year.
But the answer has been there all along, with Storton producing enough evidence to show he is the man to fill Lawler’s large boots.
Darnell Mcintosh has confirmed he should be fit to start the season with Hull FC as he prepares to make the move from Huddersfield Giants. Mcintosh ruptured his Achilles while playing against the Black and Whites for Huddersfield at the MKM Stadium in June.
Since then, the winger has been making his way through an arduous rehabilitation process and working towards a swift return to action.
All being well, Mcintosh will be fully fit for the end of December and he hopes that will give him enough time to nail down a spot for the opening game of the Super League campaign.
“It’s really good,” Mcintosh told the Mail about the injury. “I came over last week to see the Hull physio and I’ll be coming over a few times a week now until pre-season - he’s really pleased with it and I’m really happy with it.
“It’s one of them that at the beginning it’s slow, you’re in a cast for six weeks and then you’re in a boot for six weeks and there’s not much you can do. I’m out of both of them now and I’m flying now and kicking on.
“I’ve got to be patient with it but I think it’s good with the timing of when it happened, unfortunately I missed the back end of the season but I’ll be ready and firing for the start of next season.
“I’m really positive with it and it’s looking really good, I need to take my time with it and not push it too much but I’m excited about where I’ll be at the beginning of next season.
“I think my end date is the back end of December, so in the new year I’ll be fully back in.”
Of course, when Mcintosh does turn up for the first day of preseason on November 1, he won’t be the only member of the squad receiving treatment for an Achilles injury.
Josh Griffin and Joe Cator are on the comeback trail after their own injuries and the former has been on hand to offer some advice to his new team-mate.
Mcintosh added: “I don’t know him personally but I’ve spoken to Josh Griffin a bit because he had the same injury as me and he’s not too far ahead of me, I think four or five weeks. I’ve spoken to Griff quite a bit during the injury.”
It seems the 24-year-old is in for a busy month before he officially meets up with the Black and Whites, though.
In order to give himself the best chance of settling quickly into life at the club’s County Road training ground, Mcintosh has made the decision to relocate from West Yorkshire to East and make the city of Hull his new home.
“I’m moving over so hopefully I can get it done this month because pre-season starts in November,” he added.
“I definitely wanted to move over because I think being closer to the club and training, I’ll get bit more of a feel for it and I feel like I’ll settle in a bit nicer.
“I really want to take it all in when I move over, with training and around the town, I know it’s massive for everyone around the town.
“I really want to embrace it and soak up as much as I can because I want to make it worthwhile. I don’t want to just tick a box, I want to do the best I can for myself, the club and the town. That was a big part for me, getting over and amongst it all.”