Canberra hooker Tom Starling is wanting to take his recreation to a brand new degree as his staff prepares for all times after Josh Hodgson.
The 23-year-old appears poised to be the Raiders’ long-term No.9 after Hodgson heads to Parramatta subsequent season, however is continuous to construct his workload and turn into an 80-minute participant.
Starling is at present impressing off the bench after utility Adam Elliott goes round.
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He has performed roughly 60 minutes in six of 9 video games this marketing campaign, averaging a career-high 51 metres this season primarily from dummy-half scoots for a attempt, two attempt assists and two line breaks.
Starling admits he’s nonetheless studying how to change from an explosive bench operator to an 80-minute subject basic who can steer his facet via any state of affairs.
“It’s just one of the things that comes with experience, a lot of No.9s know how to conserve their energy and still be productive later on in the game, so that’s something I’m working on,” he informed reporters.
“Picking my moments when I can be 100-mile-an-hour and then also when I need to tone it back a little bit … if anyone knows me, I’m 100-mile-an-hour … so it’s one of the things that I’m just gonna keep building.
“While you begin you’ve got acquired to try to preserve the power as a result of you realize you’ve got acquired longer minutes.
“When I come off the bench, I know I can go on there and bounce around and do what I need to do, it’s just a different role and I feel like I can adapt to both of them.”
Elliott, who started the season in a bench ahead position, has additionally shone in his first two video games at hooker, working for a season-high 123m and 140m in back-to-back weeks.
“He’s going good Ads, he’s always energetic in everything he does,” Starling mentioned.
“He’s playing his role for his team which is all we ask around here … he’s doing really well and I’m enjoying sharing that role with him.
“(Coach Ricky Stuart) simply recognized that he’ll begin the sport there and let me come on and play my pure position there and produce a little bit of spark onto the sphere and play the remainder of the sport there.”
