HULL FC: I'll make fans sit up and notice me, says O'Carroll

[josie andrews]

EAMON O'Carroll says he is determined not to be Hull FC's "forgotten man" any longer.

The 24-year-old has vowed to make people sit up and notice him with his performances next season.


O'Carroll will officially start life at the Black and Whites when he reports for the first day of pre-season training next week.

Signed on a three-year contract from Wigan Warriors, he is determined to prove his worth after his progress was blighted by two injury-riddled years.

Adamant those injury concerns are now a thing of the past, the young prop is hoping to make an immediate impact at his new club.

"With the history of my injuries and having been out for a long time I feel like I have become something of a forgotten man," O'Carroll told the Mail

"The challenge that I relish is getting rid of that tag, proving my worth and getting back to the form I was showing before my injuries. The challenge is for people to take notice again."

O'Carroll played just twice last year and has only featured 19 times in the last three Super League campaigns.

Having established himself as a first-team regular at Wigan, he was hit with a career-threatening injury which doctors struggled to diagnose.

Having returned to feature at the end of last season for the Warriors, O'Carroll says he's now relishing a first pre-season in two years.

"I'm looking forward to pre-season because I didn't have one last year. Because of that I want a big one," he said.

"I have a lot to prove coming here and I want to make a good impression on my team-mates, the coaches and the fans.

"I've been going through my own programme at home and I'm already working hard.

"I was obviously injured for a lot of last season and I need to make sure I am back in good condition when we start next week."

Aware some people will need convincing following his injury record, O'Carroll is confident in his own ability to find his best form once again.

Having rejected a chance to stay at Wigan, he sees his switch to Hull as a fresh start and believes his new club can challenge for trophies.

"One of the main reasons I came to Hull was the club's ambition. I want to win things and the club have high hopes for the future too," he explained.

"It all starts now, though, with the beginning of pre-season and the hard work we all put in."

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[jobo]

I get a feeling we are going to regret him going. Hope he stays injury free because if anyone deserves a long career in RL he certainly does.

[DaveO]

I get a feeling we are going to regret him going.

Same here. Before his injury he looked good to me. Looks like we simply got outbid by Hull FC in terms of either money, length of contract or both because with Coley retiring there was the opportunity here for him to stake a claim. If we can't keep a player like O'Carroll I don't reckon we have much room to manoeuvre under the cap at all.

Instead of keeping him we are linked with Dudson and Lauaki. Now I am sure someone will say Dudson has the potential to be a good prop and Bitcom will get Lauaki to shape up but neither player was a product of the Wigan production line and O'Carroll was.