Cartwright's tribute to Black and Whites' talented star Rapana

HULL FC COACH REFLECTS ON SEEING JORDAN PLAY - TWO DECADES AGO

- By DAN TOMLINSON

Hull FC head coach John Cartwright has recalled the first time he saw Jordan Rapana play - nearly two decades ago.

Appointed as the inaugural coach of Gold Coast Titans, Cartwright had 12 months to assemble a team for the then new NRL outfit. Joining the competition for the 2007 season, the now FC boss had a year to do exactly that, spending 2006 recruiting a first-grade squad and scouring the local regional leagues for players that caught his eye.

One player who did exactly that was Rapana, who, while New Zealand-born, grew up on the Gold Coast. Representing the region, ironically against a Kiwi schoolboys' team, was where Cartwright first saw him play, with one trait immediately standing out.

Recalling that day ahead of Rapana's 250th first-grade appearance at Leeds Rhinos, Cartwright laid out that competitive edge and toughness of the player, who is now reunited with his first professional coach at Hull, having played out a 17-year career for the Titans, the Canberra Raiders, the New Zealand national side, and now the Airlie Birds.