‘Proud to wear No 10, but the badge means the most’
KR PROP KING TO FOLLOW IN FOOTSTEPS OF MOSE
GEORGE King has vowed to do former Hull KR prop Mose Masoe proud when he pulls on his old number 10 jersey next season.
King has been handed the shirt after establishing himself as a pack leader and a player Tony Smith can rely on in the engine room.
The 26-year-old has swapped jerseys with fellow prop Korbin Sims, who will wear 16 next season.
Masoe was in possession of the number 10 shirt from 2018 through to his injury at the start of 2020.
King feels honoured to follow in the footsteps of an inspirational figure, both during his playing days and as he battles his way back from a life-changing spinal injury.
King said: “At the end of the day it’s just a number in the sense that I’ve still got to go out there and perform.
“I’ve been high numbers in the past and have played every game; I’ve been a low number before and haven’t played as many games.
“But I’m proud to be able to wear that shirt because many people have worn it in the proud history of the club. Hopefully, I can do the big man Mose proud.
“I’m proud to wear the shirt, but I’m obviously not going overboard because I know it’s just a number and it’s the badge that means the most.”
King joined Rovers in the closing stages of the ill-fated 2020 season after a frustrating end to his time at Wakefield Trinity. In 2021, King recaptured the kind of form that saw him become a regular at Warrington Wolves.
“In a few aspects of games I did but there were a few games that I wasn’t quite happy with and I know there’s vast areas of improvement in me,” he said.
“Props start maturing as they get older rather than bursting onto the scene at a young age, with the exception of one every so often that takes rugby league by storm.
“I’d like to think I’ve taken that step now where I’m on course to improve year on year. That’s the aim now.
“I want to get even better. It’s about knuckling down now and being able to replicate certain performances last year while making sure
I’m more consistent.”
Consistency will be the buzzword throughout pre-season after KR lost as many games as they won in Super League in the 2021 campaign.
As well as trying to help the Robins reach their first Grand Final in 2022, King will be striving to cement a place in Ireland’s World Cup squad.