Quote Uppo58="Uppo58"Radders did the right thing bringing Carlos in.
He was a bit of a project really, with similar potential to Sam Moa when he came, (granted different positions), and Sam was not the finished article either in his first season, both arrived pretty much unproven in NRL but with potential.
(though Sam did finish very close to being the finished article)
I don't think Carlos improved as much as we all hoped he would as the season progressed, but he did enough for us to win that Dream Cup and that should never be forgotten. The kid is the type who needs to be high on confidence or he can go into a shell. But for sure he has talent.
He definitely has got the eye for a gap, but as yet does not go through it enough whether at 6 or centre, but that can only change for the better next year. He will have learnt and he will get better. He also has a pass in him and his decent defence also improved as the season progressed.
But, and its a big but for Carlos, he needed to improve by more this season to bank the 6 or the 4 shirt next year, and he hasn't done quite enough.
That the improvement will come, is without a doubt for me, and he will be a strong candidate for a centre position, but will probably start the season as cover for 6, centre and possibly full back, much like Connor. That is a great position for the Club to be in, with versatile quality cover wrapped up in 2 players, who may yet claim 1 of those position as their own, as the season unfolds.
But that will be made more difficult for both of them knowing we are well down the line in snaring a quality 6 and a specialist outside back.
I think this will be 1 more season of further learning for both of these talented and versatile young players.
For those who can remember, we had a very good side pre. the arrival of our great No6 David Topliss in 81, with us having already made a trip to the old Wembley in 1980. However the quality Toppo brought unlocked defences almost at will as we went to, I think, 6 finals in 4 years.
Like Bunting before him, I don't think Radders wants to wait. If he can get in the right man at 6 then we will indeed be sitting at the top table for a few seasons to come. How we keep the massive potential of Abdull, Connor and Tuimavave happy in the mean time we don't need to ponder. We just need the team to be successful and back where we belong. If these players are good enough they will rise to the challenge of being a champion player, and find a way.
If they do succeed, then some others will be replaced, thats just the way. We shouldn't shed too much of a tear. They're professional, and they all want the same thing as us.
If these 3 prove not good enough to be champion players at Hull FC then they will have to find another path. But they do at least know that Lee Radford will give them every opportunity to show every ounce of improvement they have made.
It's maybe the fringe backs beyond this group that may find it hard to unlock the door, as the queue of quality is developing in front of them. But there again, if they're good enough....
Lets go for it Hull FC, cos otherwise we may just die waiting and watching. Many already have at this club of ours.'"
Brilliant and very well thought out post. Next season we will have been rumbled and what we produced this year will not be enough, teams were already working out how to beat us so we have to move on change things round and get some new talent in, Carlos has bags of potential but has been a little slow to hone it this season.
