"It's funny how it's all panned out with Carty and everything, but he's exactly how I remember him," Jordan Rapana said on reconnecting with former coach John Cartwright at Hull FC this pre-season.

The duo first worked together at Gold Coast Titans back in 2008, with Cartwright handing the player, who can play at full-back or on the wing, his NRL debut. And while Rapana moved on to Canberra Raiders, and Cartwright to North Queensland Cowboys several years later, the duo have stayed in touch ever since.

That relationship was so strong that Cartwright sought Rapana out this summer, and here we are, with the former Titans pair now determined to get Hull back on an upward trajectory and ensure the pain of last season becomes a distant memory.

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"For a club that didn't have the best season last year, he's definitely the best man for the job to turn it around," Rapana, speaking to Hull Live, continued. "The Titans had just started off as a new club when he first coached, and within two to three years they were contending for finals.

"He's just an awesome bloke and he's a coach that you really want to play for. I definitely feel that the boys love him already. He makes you want to play for him, and he drives that competitive nature.

"That's really powerful, and if you get a team of 17 that want to play for each other and their coach, and of course there's going to be tough times and you're not going to win every game, but as long as you're never giving up, then you’ve always got a chance.

"I think that's when fans tend to get on board and want to get out and watch you. As long as we're always fighting, that's all you can ask for. That’s what Carty drives, and that’s what we’re aiming to be this year—a team that fights to the end."

After a disappointing Super League season, which saw Hull win just three games all year, Rapana knows how important it is to build trust with the fans once again. He also knows how passionate the Hull supporters are, with over 7,000 members signed up despite three consecutive bottom-four finishes—the worst of which saw the club in 11th place last season.

Rapana has done his homework, with one close Raiders teammate giving him the lowdown: Josh Hodgson. He explained: "I'm pretty close with Josh, and even before I came over here to play for New Zealand, he was telling me about the derby that they have here and how there's nothing quite like it and how crazy and fanatical rugby league is here.

"Sure enough, my first game here was for the Kiwis against England, and we lost. It was a sold-out MKM Stadium, and the fans got right behind their country. Ultimately, they topped us off. I’ve heard it goes up tenfold during a club game. I just can't wait for the season to get started, pull this jersey on, and get playing."

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