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Player Spotlight: Luke Hudson

Player Spotlight: Luke Hudson

Ryan Conway5 Jul 2015 - 17:42
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We caught up with one of Shaw Cross' hard hitting props

Luke Hudson is enjoying his sixth season with the Shaw Cross Sharks and has featured in all but three of the team's fixtures this season.

The prop forward admitted that at first his steps at Shaw Cross were frustrating. "When I came here from Dewbury after they folded it was tough. I found myself on the bench every week but I was always encouraged to keep coming to training and I did then found myself being the starting prop for the Under 16's"

His success at youth level saw Hudson get picked up by former Super League side Bradford Bulls, an experience which stood the big prop in good stead before returning to the Sharks a year later only this time with the open age squad where he has been for four years now.

Hudson has walked the same road in many respects that players such as Brandan French, Will Poching and Sam Ottewell have coming through all age groups. He freely admits that his peers are much more confident than he was as a younger player trying to break through.
"They're a lot more confident than I was to be honest. I think it's good that from their age group there's Brandan, Sam, Jack Gledhill and Will. They've all come through together where as when I came through it was just me." He said

"I was never really intimidated coming up but I used to get a bit of friendly ribbing every week but as a young player coming in you've got to be able to take it. That was something I struggled to learn at first to be honest."

With competition for places at prop forward high Hudson did not find himself playing regularly every week and often bounced between the first and second team. Now it seems to have paid dividends for the 21-year-old but he says at first it was frustrating.
"There's times where you're chopping and changing between the first and second team and then maybe you're cup tied so can't play at all. Things like that takes a bit of getting used to. Some weeks you're not going to be playing whereas for me at youth level I didn't really have that kind of competition for places."

Hudson was brutal in his assessment of his own performance. The once shy and timid player coming into the first team admitted that he felt his game had taken a step back. "At the start of the season I was a regular. Then obviously other people get chances and if they out-perform you they jump over you in the pecking order.
"I'm a confidence player personally. So if I start well I'll probably go on to play well for the rest of the game but sometimes my head can go down a bit and I need somebody on my back."

Although he is frustrated at not starting every week Hudson acknowledged the need for competition in the squad and the recent form of Casey Johnson and Matthew Byatt is something he respects. "It's healthy competition. If you're not performing there's somebody there to take your shirt and the boys playing ahead of me have been playing really well and being consistent."

When quizzed on where he felt he had improved his game the bruising prop feels his fitness levels are as good as they have ever been. "Coming out of pre-season I trained every session and you could see progress." He said.
"One session I'd do a run and I'd struggle with it then three weeks later we'd do the same run and I'd do much better with it. Then I started doing a bit of running in my own time."

Although not starting every game Hudson has been brought on as an impact player and has often put in a solid performance. Now with the season just past the half way mark the 21-year-old will be hoping he can return to his early season form to help the Sharks push up the table and secure a playoff spot.

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