COACH Lee Radford believes new signing Chris Tuson has the intensity his Hull FCside will need to be in the hunt for honours next season.
Tuson has arrived at the Black and Whites with medals around his neck following a successful spell with home-town club Wigan.
Although he's had to play second fiddle to Liam Farrell, Sean O'Loughlin and Harrison Hansen at the Warriors, the second-rower still lifted the Challenge Cup in this year's Wembley final win over Hull.
And Radford says the 25-year-old's hunger to win more silverware is already obvious after some intense sessions in pre-season.
He told the Mail: "Chris is the type of bloke who would be the first out of the trenches and doesn't dip his toe in. If he's doing something, then he's an all-in type of player.
"He already looks like a really good addition to the dressing room and he's proving what a top man he is.
"People will have seen his wholehearted displays when he played for Wigan and he trains exactly the same way he plays.
"That intensity has been great for the group because they can only learn by watching that professionalism and commitment on a daily basis. It's certainly rubbing off on the others."
Having set his sights on being one of Hull's go-to men next season, Tuson has made no secret of his desire to establish himself as a regular starter after 14 starts and 10 appearances as a replacement for Wigan in 2013.
He has already labelled 2014 as 'a massive year' in his development and has begun his time at the Black and Whites by throwing himself into boxing sessions and regular on-field drills.
With Gareth Ellis and Richard Whiting competing against new signing Jordan Thompson and Tuson for a place in the second row, Radford will have some tough decisions to make when the campaign kicks off.
But as a former forward himself, the Hull coach knows Tuson's efforts will only help bring out the best from his squad.
He added: "When you've got someone who is going above and beyond in their training, it forces other players to look over their shoulder and raise their own game.
"As a coach, having a player like Chris is a great thing. It means players can see how high they need to raise their game without the need for me to say it."
