Rising Hull star Crooks motivated by Wembley final failure

As Hull FC prepare for tonight’s sudden-death play-off with Catalan Dragons, it has been a time of mixed emotions for one of their rising stars.Dave Craven speaks to the gifted Ben Crooks.
Ben CrooksBen Crooks
Ben Crooks

PRODIGIOUS Hull FC talent Ben Crooks says his personal Wembley nightmare will stay with him forever but is also inspiring his hopes of future success.

The young centre, named in the Super League Dream Team on Monday, hoped to return from injury to bolster the Airlie Birds in tonight’s crucial elimination play-off with Catalan Dragons but has just fallen short in his battle.

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He has not played since enduring a horrific error-strewn performance in the Challenge Cup final loss against Wigan Warriors almost three weeks ago.

It was a massive blow for the burgeoning 20-year-old, who had scored 20 tries in 21 games this term and then battled back with real alacrity from ankle surgery to take his place in the showpiece.

The majority of onlookers felt Crooks was simply not fit, having made that surprise recovery just four weeks after the operation to repair damaged ligaments.

However, talking for the first time about the sobering experience this week, he told the Yorkshire Post: “I wasn’t originally going to play but two weeks after surgery felt great.

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“I felt fine. I could run, I passed all the fitness tests, so my fitness wasn’t a problem it just happened to be one of those days that I didn’t perform and in big games like that, on the biggest stage, you can’t afford for that to happen. I was disappointed in myself. I know I could have performed a lot better.

“It’s something I’ll learn from and take with me along the way and it will drive me further forward

“It’s not going to die off easily. People can say they’ve forgotten it and it’s in the past but it’s not one of those things.

“It’s going to stick with me for the rest of my career that moment as I never want that feeling again.

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“It will motivate me. If I do get the chance to go back to Wembley it’s going to be in the back of my mind and it will make me perform better.”

Crooks departed the national stadium that night with a protective boot over that ankle, heightening speculation the rangy three-quarter had suffered a relapse.

He has, indeed, missed their last two regular rounds and now has failed to make tonight’s 19-man squad, too. But the player – son of Hull FC legend Lee Crooks – maintained: “We’re just waiting for my ankle to settle down.

“Coming back so quickly after surgery we said it probably would be sore and it’s taken a little bit longer than we expected.

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“But it’s starting to ease now and I’m looking to be back soon if I can get through the training sessions unaggravated and pain-free.”

Hull coach Peter Gentle welcomes back captain Gareth Ellis for the first time since the England second-row injured ribs at Wembley but how he could do with Crooks’s strike power, too.

Though the East Yorkshire club grabbed a 34-33 success at a depleted Wigan six days after Wembley, they were insipid and one-dimensional when losing at home to St Helens last Friday and must improve vastly to have any chance even against a traditionally inconsistent Catalan.

Hull, though, do seem to thrive when it comes to sudden-death football and their frustrated fans will be clinging on to that at the KC Stadium as they strive to reach the second week of the play-offs.

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“As a team, we’ve proved we can handle the knockout stages in the Challenge Cup,” added Castleford-born Crooks.

“It was disappointing in the final. We were more upset with ourselves as we didn’t throw that much at Wigan. Neither team played that well, conditions didn’t help and the biggest disappointment was we didn’t give ourselves a chance to win it.

“But it’s given us more motivation. Now we want to go on and get to Old Trafford and prove what we can do.

“We’ve beaten Catalan at home and away so we weren’t bothered where we played them. We know we can do it.”

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If they do not, their season is over so Crooks will be hoping his colleagues perform without him and allow his return next week.

Following his stunning second season for the Black and Whites, the Academy product admitted: “The Dream Team was a big surprise. It wasn’t something I’d set any goals for at the beginning of the year.

“All I wanted to do was cement a starting spot and perform each week so for people to recognise I’d been playing well and nominate me like that was very humbling. I’m very proud.”

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