Injured Hull KR star Ben Crooks more concerned about scan than world record

There has been no call yet from Guinness regarding a potential world record but Ben Crooks is more concerned with today’s scan on his injured foot and helping Hull KR build on their first victory of the season.
Ben Crooks celebrates his second try.  Picture Bruce RollinsonBen Crooks celebrates his second try.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
Ben Crooks celebrates his second try. Picture Bruce Rollinson

The Rovers three-quarter grabbed plenty of headlines when scoring after just seven seconds of Friday’s epic 25-24 win over Huddersfield Giants.

He crossed after a mix-up in the visitors’ ranks when they were trying to deal with Jordan Abdull’s kick-off.

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It is the fastest try in Super League history, beating the previous best of St Helens’ Tim Jonkers who scored in 14 seconds against Wakefield Trinity in 2002.

It also tops the fastest try scored in the NRL, when Kirisome Auva’a crossed for one of Crooks’s former clubs – Parramatta Eels – in just 11 seconds against Brisbane Broncos in 2017.

The official world record, though,was set by an amateur player – Wigan St Patrick’s Dean Hatton – who clocked 7.3 seconds for his effort in 2015.

Crooks might now rival that but – having limped off injured at the start of the second period – he told The Yorkshire Post: “As much as it was nice scoring like that, I was more bothered about adding to the chance to get the win. It didn’t really come into my head how fast it was. It was just good to get an early shot in.

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“It was only afterwards a few people messaged me about a lad who got a world record in an amateur game. If people want to look into that, I’ll let them get on with it. But I won’t be shouting about it!”

Crooks added a second try as Rovers went 18-0 up in the first period but he also picked up an injury. He said: “It’s still a bit sore.

“I don’t know what it is. I’m having a scan on Monday.

“My ankle and foot just got caught in a tackle. I tried running it off and got to half-time.

“I came back out but it was a case of being brave and stupid or coming off and not putting the team at risk so I came off.”

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The former Hull FC centre could only watch on helplessly as Huddersfield recovered to lead 20-18, Rovers threatening to let another big lead slip just as they had done when losing to Castleford Tigers 33-32 in the Challenge Cup a week earlier.

“I was thinking ‘Not again – we can’t go 20 points up and let it slip again!’” conceded Crooks.

“But we know there will be some close results this year if we’re competing with the bigger teams.

“And we showed great determination to get that result – as well as showing we’d learned lessons from the previous week.

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“We made sure we got that one point in front and Abbo (Jordan Abdull) showed he’d learned from the Castleford game, too, by getting that drop goal.”

Crooks, who started the season on the wing, was recalled at centre having been overlooked for the Castleford game.

“I had a good chat with Tony and he told me the reasons why he left me out,” he said.

“I know I had things I needed to fix up and I hold myself to certain standards as do the coaches. I thought I was doing well in that first half on Friday but then came the injury.”

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