Jake Trueman, window cleaning and West Bowling – The making of Hull KR’s Matty Storton – Hull Daily Mail

Matty Storton was an unknown quantity to Hull KR fans when he joined the club over the off-season.

The back-rower was one of five to leave Bradford Bulls and sign with Rovers, alongside Joe Keyes, Rowan Milnes, Elliot Minchella and Anesu Mudoti as Tony Smith looked to add depth and young talent to his Super League side.

For Storton, though, it was his first full-time contract as a player, meaning he would not only have to leave his hometown club, but also his job as a window cleaner in order to chase his dream.

So far, the 21-year-old has exceeded expectations. After impressing in pre-season, Smith went with Storton in the back-row for the opening game of the season against Wakefield Trinity, and hes played a part in every game since.

But, according to his junior coach at West Bowling, it wasnt always obvious that he could forge a path to the very top of the game, despite his notable size and strength as a child.

He was as strong as an ox, amateur coach Matt Sharp told Hull Live. Compared to all the other kids he was really strong, when we were doing tackle drills, youd know you were hit by him even as a 12-year-old, he could really hit hard.

He wasn't the brainiest kid when it came to drills, he tried his best but Ive seen him since and he has improved a lot with that!

He was quite lazy to be honest, he was one of those cheeky little kids where you turn your back and hes stopped doing what he was supposed to be doing.

I knew Matty would do something but I wasnt sure at what level, because he was very strong, a textbook tackler, hed run hard and if you wanted yardage youd give him the ball and hed get you out of trouble. It wasnt obvious to start with."

Sharp had the privilege of coaching not one current Super League player but two, with Castleford Tigers half-back Jake Trueman also being in his side and its fair to say as a pair they developed a strong relationship on the pitch, but off it, too.

Theyre the best of mates, Sharp added. They both came to the club at a similar sort of time, I think their parents knew each other, they were thick as thieves.

They both went to Bradford together and did really well and Jake went to Castleford. Jake was at half-back, Matty was at second-row and youd always find if Jake was going to make a break, Matty would be on one-side of him and vice-versa. Jake would always follow Matty up because nine times out of 10 hed break the line.

Trueman remembers his time with the back-rower well, too, telling Hull Live: Weve been best friends for ages, we get on really well off the field and I still see him a lot, Im still really good mates with him and have been since we first met.

We were all over the field and did what we wanted really, we linked up pretty well. He was my back-rower at amateur but he was that big and strong I tried to give him the ball as much as I could.

He wasnt that tall but he was always solid, hes one of the strongest players Ive ever seen. He was so hard to tackle, even at that age, he was a really good player.

It seems the pair were inseparable. Having starred for West Bowling, Storton and Trueman joined Bradford together at scholarship level and even went to college together while they rose through the ranks at Odsal.

Unfortunately, their debuts for the club came separately. Truemans talent was spotted by Rohan Smith and he was drafted into the first-team to make his debut and a move to Super League soon followed.

Storton had to wait a little longer before he got the chance to the famous jersey, making his bow in 2017.

But it was in 2019 under John Kear that he really made his mark in the first-team and its fair to say the former Hull FC and Wakefield chief was impressed by what he saw.

You dont worry about whether this is one of his good weeks, or whether hell be switched on properly, because he is already so consistent, Kear told the Daily Mirror in May last year after the clubs win over Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup.

Hes tough and a physically big kid, which allows him to handle the physical rigours of the game.

The weight he lifts in the gym for a 20-year-old man is phenomenal. Hes one of those players that when the opposition carry the ball into collision with him, they stop - thats the impact he has physically.

But hes tough mentally as well, and no respecter of reputations. He couldnt give a monkey's whether hes playing against Wally Lewis or the Hemel Stags stand-off, he treats everybody the same.

After such a big billing and some sterling performances in the Championship, little wonder Storton got his move into the full-time game and he hasnt looked back since.

Hes already shown himself to be one of the most promising youngsters in the Super League and his good friend Trueman has been keeping in regular contact to see how hes getting on in east Hull.

I think he needed to move away from Bradford for some new challenges and hes done really well, hes started all the games, the Castleford stand-off said.

I think hes loving it. He was part-time at Bradford and he was doing a bit of window cleaning, hes enjoyed knocking that off and going full-time.

Storton still keeps in contact with his junior coach, making appearances at awards nights for Sharp, who now coaches West Bowlings under-10s side.

Of course, Sharp has been watching on proudly as the humble back-rower tries to make his stamp on the Super League, but how far does he believe the youngster can go in the game?

Ive seen bits on TV and what Ive seen the step up from the Championship hasnt fazed him. I think its improved him, playing with and against better players, the coach said.

Theres a lot of time ahead of him if he keeps working like he is hell be one of the best props or second-rowers around I think.

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Jake Trueman, window cleaning and West Bowling - The making of Hull KR's Matty Storton - Hull Daily Mail