Jack Charles explains Jake Trueman influence as Hull FC look to rid unwanted run

There’s been no secret of Jake Trueman’s rise to fitness at Hull FC this spring. The 25-year-old has been looking the part in training for weeks, and he’s carried that into his playing return.

And while there’s a way to go until he hits top gear again, the signs have been there, whether it be the assist for Tom Briscoe at Warrington, or his own try at London.

On those fronts, Trueman, who is back in the side after his Achilles rupture, has shown his quality, and for young Jack Charles, who is hoping to learn all he can from the player, there’s been one glaring takeaway.

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“I'm picking his brain as much as possible,” Charles told Hull Live. “He’s a fantastic player. Seeing some of the stuff that he does at training is pretty special.

“We talk about time, and Truey looks like he has so much time when he’s on the ball. He's really composed, and he just seems to pick the right pass every time.

“That comes with repetition after repetition in training, but to see him do that close up in person is unreal. I just want to keep learning from him, keep picking his brains, and hopefully I can be like that one day.”

In the meantime, Charles is focused on helping turn around Hull’s fortunes in any way he can. The side are currently on a nine-game losing streak and head to Trueman’s former club, Castleford Tigers, on Friday night.

“It's tough at the moment, but we'll get through it,” Charles continued. “We’re not where we want to be in terms of results, but tough times create good times. If we can just keep looking forward to what's next and keep moving on, we'll be fine.

“We all know things haven't gone well on the pitch, and we need to sort that out, but it starts at training by driving standards and just holding each other accountable for our own actions.

“That's the big thing. We'll stick together; we've got to stick together. We can't quit, and we've got to keep coming in and working hard.”

After playing eight games this year, Charles is getting a taste for what it’s all about. This time last year, he was playing academy and reserves. This time two years ago, scholarship. It’s been some ride, but he’s not been on his own, with the likes of Logan Moy and Lewis Martin also rising in first grade this season.

“I'm really enjoying it,” Charles added. “I want to put my best foot forward for this team and keep growing individually as well. Logan and I, in particular, are pretty close, and we get along well. We encourage each other quite a lot and try to help each other. We also demand and expect a lot from each other.

“Because we're young, it's just bringing that energy and being as enthusiastic as we can. We can still drive standards, so that's the big thing, but playing together at 18 years old in the first team was pretty special. We definitely learned a lot from that, and it will only put us in good stead for the future."

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