The next Hull FC player to take a trip down memory lane in the popular ‘Back To My Roots’ feature is Joe Cator…
FC: Can you remember your first playing experience?
“The first time I picked up a rugby ball was at Skirlaugh, I played in the year above. I was about 6 or 7 and we played on the old Malet Lambert pitch.
“You know how it is when you play rugby at that age. Reebok trackies with shorts on top because it was cold, a hoodie with a playing shirt over the top, a scrum cap and a gum shield, all looking like tiny little shrimps. The ball was bigger than your chest and every time you got it you’d run sideward to try and run around everyone.
“I always used to go off in a sulk if I didn’t get more than one or two touches in a game.”
FC: You come from a big rugby league following family. Were you encouraged into playing or was it your own decision?
“I probably didn’t have a choice! I don’t know if I had the option or not, all I can remember is that I got dropped off at Malet Lambert for an hour’s session and then I got picked up after. Thinking about it, I was probably encouraged into it, but I’m glad I was and I’m glad I enjoyed it – I must have been half decent at it!”
FC: When did you realise that you were good at rugby league?
“I was always a confident kid when it came down to rugby. I always wanted to have the ball in my hand, and I always wanted to make sure I did something in a game.
“I didn’t want to go unnoticed. Whether that was scoring a try or putting a big shot on, I always made sure I did that in a game. That was just the way I thought. If I didn’t score a try I probably wouldn’t have been happy with my performance.”
FC: Your first professional contract was with Hull KR. Was it strange given that you are a boyhood Black & White fan?
“Yes it was strange, but you’d take anything to become a professional rugby league player! I was just so desperate to get my foot in the door and make some Super League experiences. I was there for about three or four years – it was strange at first but I got used to it after a while.
FC: Tell us a bit about your loan experiences with Coventry and Newcastle as a youngster?
“Coventry was dual-registration, so we could go there whenever we wanted. So if you weren’t named in the 19-man-squad at KR, you could go and play for Coventry that weekend.
“Newcastle was a loan, I was only there a month. I came back and I was lucky enough to play in the Derby.
FC: Was there ever a stage in your teenage years where you had to get a part-time job before you entered full-time rugby league?
“Not when I was younger but I did two years ago. Not many people know this, but I had a part-time job when I was playing for Leigh – they were a part-time team during that year I was there.
“I spoke to John Duffy, the coach, and I said I was all for coming, but I needed somewhere to stay and I needed a job as well. He said I could come over in January and take a look at the flat and get moved in, and start work on a building site.
“I had never worked on a building site in my life and I don’t think I ever want to work on one in my life again! It was definitely an eye-opener…
“We got put on a job at the start of January. It was 7.30 in the morning so it was pitch black. Plus, it was a good hour between where I lived and the site I worked on. So I would get up at 6.00, set off at 6.30, clock on at 7.30 and get all my boots on, not having a clue where I was going or what I was doing.
“The job we were doing was building apartments, but they hadn’t even started yet. We were starting from scratch. So we were stood in just sludge – thick mud. We had to put concrete slabs in to start building the apartments. I would start that at 7.30 and finish at 5.30.
“From where I worked to Leigh Sports Village, it was an hour and a half away. So I’d start training at 7, wouldn’t finish until 9-9.30 and then the stadium was still 40 minutes away from where I lived. I’d get home after 10, get a quick shower and get all my work gear ready for 6.00 the next morning.
“That was my life. I think I stuck at it for three months. Coming from a full-time environment at Hull KR, it was really tough and it opened my eyes up.
“I moved after three months to become a PE teacher, and I was teaching all different sports. It was the summertime at that point and I absolutely loved it. From there on, I was loving my rugby again.”
Click here to watch the full Back To My Roots interview with Joe Cator!
STORY SPONSOR
