It didn’t take Jack Charles long to realise he is in the right place after making the switch to Hull KR over the off-season.
Charles is a Hull FC academy graduate and he has made 23 appearances for the Black and Whites at senior level. As if to underline just how highly rated he was in the west of Hull, he made his debut for the club when he was just 18, with plenty believing he could go on to nail down a half-back spot full-time down the line at the MKM Stadium.
However, the youngster made the controversial and difficult decision to bring his time at Hull to end last season and pen a long-term deal with treble winners KR. It’s a switch that sees him join up with the club his father Chris made over 200 appearances for as a player.
But, it’s also a move that sees Charles step into a winning environment that is built for a sustained period of success and that’s exactly what was on the half-back’s mind when he made the switch to swap black and white for red and white.
“It was just where the club was going, they want to win and be in that winning environment,” Charles said on the thought process behind his switch. “I’m not saying Hull FC isn’t that, but Willie [Peters] was a big driver and where the club is going off the pitch as well.
“I just wanted to be a part of something like that.
“The way the culture is and the environment and what Willie drives every day, it’s special to be a part of.”
Of course, Charles isn’t guaranteed match minutes at Craven Park, far from it, in fact, with Mikey Lewis and Tyrone May being the established half-back pairing at the club. But, he’s expected to get a chance to showcase his ability this evening with KR take on Lock Lane in the Challenge Cup, and Peters has made his intention to ‘drip-feed’ the playmaker into the side over the next couple of years clear.
“We’ve had loads of conversations,” he said when asked about Peters. “He’s supporting me and helping me grow as a half-back and as a person, so I’m thankful for that.
“What he’s done with Mikey and what they did last year is pretty special so hopefully one day that can be me.”
Asked about his goals for 2026, he said: “I want to help the team in training as much as possible but when I get my chance, hopefully just to take it with both hands and give him a bit of a headache. Tyrone is an experienced player and Mikey, but just give them a headache and push them both as much as possible.”
Indeed, Lewis and May are standing in Charles’ way of featuring on a weekly basis for KR, but they’ve been more than accommodating when it comes to helping the youngster out, too.
“[I want to] learn as much as I can off them both,” he added. “They’ve obviously done some pretty good stuff over the last couple of years together, so just pick their brains as much as possible.
“They’ve been really approachable as well, any tips here and there they’ve helped me with a lot. Hopefully that in the future can continue and hopefully one day I can be running out, week in, week out.”
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