KEAL CARLILE is hoping his first Giants’ Super League start in the Magic Weekend win over Warrington Wolves is a taste of things to come.
The 20-year-old hooker scored his side’s first try of the 2011 season and earned wholesome praise from head coach Nathan Brown for his all-round performance as Huddersfield got their Super League XVI campaign off to a flying start with a convincing 28-18 victory.
Carlile’s only previous Giants Super League appearance came off the bench in the narrow defeat at St Helens two seasons ago, while he was also a substitute in the Challenge Cup win over Rochdale Hornets earlier that year.
But Carlile – who also made one Super League appearance, again as a substitute, for Bradford Bulls against St Helens as an 18-year-old – is now hoping to build on his display at the Millennium Stadium and start to feature far more regularly in the senior side, despite facing fierce competition for the hooker spot from the likes of Shaun Lunt, Luke Robinson and David Faiumu.
“I really hope this is the year I finally breakthrough. This weekend is a great start,” said Carlile.
“This is the third season I’ve been here and my contract’s up at the end of the year, so I know how massive it is for me.
“I’m only too well aware it’s going to be tough to hold onto my place and that I’ve been lucky enough to get my chance because of the injury to Robbo (Luke Robinson).
“But now I’ve had this taste, I don’t want it to go.
“This was obviously the biggest game I’ve played in and I thought I went well, I was happy with my performance. And the good thing was that Nathan (Brown) was happy with the way I went, too.
“So I hope I’ve proved to him I have what it takes to play for us at this level and that I can do a good job for him.
“Obviously I know there are areas of my game I need to improve, but I hope I get the chance to do that here at Huddersfield with a new contract on the back of a good season playing regularly in Super League.”
