St Helens v Hull FC: Naughton is ready to stake claim alongside Wembley heroes

The winger was overlooked for Saturday’s heroic Challenge Cup success at Wembley with Lee Radford preferring regulars Steve Michaels and Fetuli Talanoa as his widemen.

However, with Hull’s head coach resting a raft of players for this evening’s Super 8s game at St Helens, Naughton – who generally impresses when selected – gets his opportunity to push forward his own claims once more.

The 21-year-old said: “I want to play in that Grand Final later this season and it starts on Friday for me. I need to get out there and show my best against Saints.

“We enjoyed the celebrations after Wembley and rightly so.

“But we want to be stood on a stage with all three trophies at the end of the year and, so, knew we had to get back into training ready for this.

“We want to finish top; our aim is to do the treble so that means we have to kick on from here.”

Although disappointed not to make the Wembley line-up against Warrington Wolves, the former Bradford Bulls player is certainly not dispirited.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a lot of good players did not play,” said Naughton, who has scored eight tries in 15 appearances this tern and signed a new deal until the end of 2018 in March,

“But throughout the sport there’s a lot of legends who have never experienced winning it so, to be a part of this squad, even if I did not play, was amazing.

“The whole squad was exceptional last week, but we have more important games coming up.

“We know where we need to be to achieve what we want and I’m itching to get going.”

Dewsbury-born Naughton, who joined from Sydney Roosters in 2014, played his part en route to Wembley scoring in the 47-18 sixth-round rout at St Helens, a result and performance they will look to emulate tonight.

Granted, Saints have improved vastly since then, but they still need points to secure fourth place and join leaders Hull in the Super League semi-finals.