Barrie McDermott
Rugby League Expert & Columnist @RLBarrieMc10
Jake Connor: Barrie McDermott on the 'energy and passion' of Hull FC full-back
Hull FC full-back Jake Connor will be staying with the Super League club for another two seasons at least after signing a new contract; Sky Sports rugby league expert and former Super League winner Barrie McDermott explains why he is so important to them
Last Updated: 16/08/21 5:35pm
It's great news for Jake Connor and tremendous news for Hull FC that he has signed a two-year contract extension with the club. I think they place a lot of importance on him and his contribution to the side.
Jake is a player who has always had a massive amount of talent and, on his day, when he is fully focused and motivated, and the ball is going his way, he's as good as anybody in Super League.
I've watched him come through as a young Siddal player, make his way into the Huddersfield Giants team and then progress to the big-city move at Hull, and he plays a lot of his game on anger and passion.
I often talk about a dial in your aggression in those areas and Brett Hodgson is a great coach for him. If he can just manage to control that dial you need with a player like Jake Connor, then he will get the best of out him.
You see it in different sports and I think back to watching football in the 1990s where Eric Cantona was the player I used to enjoy watching. He was a flawed genius and when he was on it there was nobody better on the ball.
I think Jake Connor has got that and, at 26, he's just about to hit the peak of his career. He's about a dozen games off 200 career appearances, so he's got the miles on the clock and he needs to work on a few things in his game.
But what he's got in terms of talent and what God has given him will separate him when he eventually masters all of those demons.
I think full-back is the position which suits him best at the moment, but with his attributes as a rugby league player you could arguably slot him in anywhere, and we've seen him star as a centre, scrum-half and stand-off.
But, for me, full-back is the position which best allows him to express himself. He's not got to be burdened by the responsibility of playing at No. 6 or No. 7, he's not locked in a side, and can float around the ball and follow the action.
That's a part of his game, when he's at the front and playing really well, he's involved in everything and at the end of everything. Who knows where he'll graduate to, though?
He may make one of those half-back positions his own, but the next three or four-year period is about him enjoying his rugby league and enjoying it at Hull FC.
Brett Hodgson is the perfect person to mentor, coach and manage Jake. He's a big ball of energy and passion - sometimes it's going in the right direction and other times it costs his side, but I think his team-mates will forgive him because of what he brings in the positive column.
He's got the nickname 'Jake The Snake' and, just like the wrestler Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, he's a bad guy and someone opposition fans love to hate. But when he's your bad guy, you love him even more because you know he gets under the skin of the opposition.
Hull FC and their fans on the terraces love to see him running with the ball, scoring tries and creating tries. His passing and kicking games are as good as anybody when it's in the right direction when he's at his best.
I've no doubt the Hull FC players are delighted he's going to be there for at least another two years and the fans will just want to see him at his best. His signature could help the Black and Whites land that elusive first Super League title too.
