After an impressive performance against Huddersfield last weekend, young hooker Jordan Johnstone says he is now under pressure to perform in the coming weeks and meet those similar standards.
One of the stand-out performers against the Giants at the Halliwell Jones Stadium last Sunday, the 23-year old has reflected positively on only his second start for the club, but insists he has more to give in Hull’s upcoming clashes, and must meet the standards he set s himself.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, brought to you in association with Jacuzzi, Johnstone said: “I really enjoyed the game. It was nice to get a decent amount of time on the field; that’s probably the most I’ve played since the opening game of the season against Leeds.
“In other games, I’ve been coming on when games have already been over really so it was good to be there from the start and really express myself.
“I thought I did okay in the game, but I know I have a lot more in me. It was my first game since coming back from lockdown, but I hope I did enough to warrant a place in the squad this week.
Having received plenty of laudits from his performance, Johnstone added: “Its nice to get that praise. There have been a lot of messages of support but it is about backing that up now with some consistency.
“To put a string of good performances in is what I want now. There is a bit of pressure on my shoulders now to perform but that’s what I want.”
On the significance of the victory over the Giants, he added: “We were desperate for a performance. That win could be a big turning point for us given how fast those games are coming up this month. Our middles stepped up to the mark and our defence was really top draw.
“We have a bulk load of confidence in us now and there is a lot of energy around the camp. Hopefully that win has given us the momentum to kick on.”
Johnstone also reflected on the advice received from fellow hooker and club captain Danny Houghton, as well as head coach Andy Last who also took on the hooking role during his playing days.
“It’s great to be around blokes like that. The whole pre-season was a massive learning curve for myself and I said to myself before I joined the club that one of the big things about joining Hull was to learn from Danny – he is one of the best in the business and has been for a long time.
“They’re always there for advice and tipping me up before the game – they’re honest with me and are always on the same wavelength.
“The big thing is to play simple and not over-complicate things, and that was the big message from Lasty at the weekend. He said I have an opportunity but not to go out there and over-complicate things. I was told o just be myself and relax, so that’s what I’m doing in my game.”
Looking ahead to Friday’s clash against Warrington, Johnstone is wary of the threat posed by Wolves hooker Daryl Clark.
“Daryl is a real run threat out of dummy-half – he can be out of there in a flash. I like to be quick out of dummy-half sometimes too but I also like to be a but crafty around the ruck, but hopefully with more game time I can start bringing more of my abilities out.
“By our standards, that last game against them just wasn’t acceptable. But we are in a good place now. We were written off going into last week’s game but we have turned up for each other and hopefully we have a bit of momentum behind us now. One win can do wonders and we owe them one.”
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