A long-term ambition is coming to frutition.
The rapid rise of Lewis Martin was no surprise to those who nurtured him through the Hull FC system. For those that have been on his journey, there’s satisfaction, even if they’ve since moved onto pastures new. For Michael Shenton, Hull’s former Emerging Talent Coach, that’s certainly the case.
The now Wakefield Trinity assistant coach coached Martin at both academy and reserve levels in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He also played a role in the development of the likes of Harvey Barron, Davy Litten, and Logan Moy, with the local quartet all featuring in the first team over the last couple of seasons and ensuring that a long-term ambition from Hull has become an ongoing reality.
“We knew with Lewis straight away that he had raw potential,” Shenton, speaking to Hull Live, said. “He was a footballer first, but he grabbed hold of his chance and under John Cartwright, he has not only completely taken it but gone to another level.
“Hull took a leap of faith with him and sometimes that’s all you need: an opportunity. He had a superb season.
“John has also been picking Harvey Barron, Davy Litten, and Logan Moy. They’ve backed their youth system, they’ve gone with it, and they’re reaping the rewards from it now. They’ll be much stronger again next year. It was great to see those boys doing well.”
Into his third season at Wakefield, Shenton still looks back on his time at the Black and Whites with fondness. He continued: “I loved my time at Hull. I loved my role there and working with those young players.
“I had control over there over what I could do and building that programme and working with them lads; they were outstanding. It wasn’t a light decision to leave, but coaching jobs – there aren’t many in the game really at that level, and it was the right time for me. It’s worked out pretty well so far.”
Working under Daryl Powell, Shenton’s primary focus is on making sure Wakefield build on a first season back in Super League that saw them secure a top six position, but underneath that, the passion for his first coaching role still burns.
“For Super League to keep growing, what we need is young superstars to keep coming through,” he said. “We’ve got to build these players up and make sure they have got the capabilities to make it.
“But we’ve also got to let them grow, let them go play, and see what they can do. We don’t need to box them up; we need to let them thrive.
“It’s the hardest bit of any club to get right, youth development, but in the long run, it works out for clubs so much better when young players are coming through.”