Super League 2016 - Hull KR: Clarkson looking to take over from departed star McCarthy

Rovers head coach Chris Chester has handed the former Leeds Rhinos player the No13 jersey vacated by McCarthy’s move to NRL club St George Illawarra and expects him to be a like-for-like replacement.

Workaholic McCarthy was a consistent force for Rovers last term following his move from Queensland Cup side Northern Pride and was made captain when Terry Campese’s season was ended by injury in June.

His form earned the Ireland international a deal back in Australia’s first-grade system and Clarkson – now aged 25 – knows he has to step up to the mark.

“I’ve probably needed this for a couple of years now – a bit of responsibility,” said the England Knights player, who spent last year on loan with Widnes Vikings from hometown club Leeds.

“For me, coming to a club that wants me to be there and knows I can do a job means I’m really looking forward to stepping into Tyrone’s shoes.

“I started quite a lot of games at Widnes but knew more or less straight away that I wouldn’t be there for too long so, as much as I was looking forward to playing each week and putting my all in, I knew I wasn’t going to be there after the end of the season.

“I’ve three years at Hull KR, though, and so can sink my teeth into this and build for the future, while being in the middle at loose forward does suit me better, too.”

Clarkson’s background is an interesting one; he was playing for Leeds’s second-string and working as a bricklayer when he was called up for his Super League debut in March 2010.

Just five months later, such was his swift progress as an athletic second-row, he was starting a Challenge Cup final against Warrington Wolves at Wembley.

Having hung up his trowel to go full-time, Clarkson played in the 2011 Grand Final victory at Old Trafford and won the World Club Challenge the following year but, with the emergence of Stevie Ward and a surfeit of other back-row options for coach Brian McDermott, was allowed to join Widnes last term.

Clarkson, hoping to help advance Rovers into a top-eight team after last year’s disappointing 10th spot, admits he still pinches himself.

“I’m grateful every day I do something I enjoy and get paid for it,” he said. “I always look to do my all in everything I do – my training, my diet, everything off-field as well as on field. I don’t think you can take things for granted.”

He has already made that known to some of the younger players at Hull KR including 21-year-old Super League rookies Robbie Mulhern and Thomas Minns who have arrived via the same Leeds academy.

“It’s good to see them here and I know what they’re capable of,” said Clarkson.

“From me being in their shoes already, I think I can bring them on, give them some advice and be a bit of a leader for them.”

At the other end of the scale, of course, is Jamie Peacock, the legendary former Great Britain captain who finished his glorious decade at Leeds by helping them to the treble last term before retiring and taking on his new role as Hull KR’s head of rugby.

Clarkson admitted: “He was the one that told Hull KR I as available. JP wanted to get me over and I’m grateful to him for that. Now I’m just looking forward to showing these guys what I can do.

“The big thing we have to do here – and we’ve already spoken about it – is not so much on the field but off it; it’s about people not cutting corners as if you do that outside of rugby you will cut corners on field, too.

“So, diet, training, everything like that, we have to target everyone to get on the same wavelength and going for the same goal.”

Rovers have endured some wretched friendly defeats to Huddersfield Giants and Hull FC but begin the season for real at home to Castleford Tigers on Sunday.

Their West Yorkshire opponents, who have finished fourth and fifth in the last two seasons, are perhaps a perfect example of what can be achieved with an improvement in professionalism.

“Cas’ have been great recently with Daryl Powell doing a terrific job there,” admitted Clarkson.

“They’ll be coming on top of their game – strong and fit – but we’ll be looking to match and better that.”