IT is great news that Daryl Clark is 'feeling good' for the start of the new season.

Being in a good frame of mind can bring the best out of a player and an on-form Clark is a major asset to The Wire, as was witnessed last year.

The 2019 campaign was certainly a memorable one personally for the 26-year-old hooker.

Not only did he break his duck in major finals, having lost on five previous occasions at Wembley or Old Trafford, he scored the decisive try and received the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match as The Wire defeated St Helens in the Challenge Cup Final.

He walked away with the player-of-the-year accolades at the end of the season and gained Great Britain honours on the tour Down Under.

His marriage with Leigh Asquith, who he had met at school, at Sandburn Hall near York on December 29 and a pre-wedding honeymoon in Dubai and Bali capped an incredible year.

It will take some doing, but he is aiming for even better on the field this season.

“2019 was one of my best years if I’m being honest and hopefully I can keep improving and keep growing, and see what this year brings,” he said.

“There’s always room for improvement.

"I think in the weekly rounds, it's about finding more consistency.

“Now the monkey’s off my back with the major finals, I’m hoping more can follow.

"I’d played in five finals and lost them all but managed to win that one in August. I guess if you keep playing in them you’re bound to win one.

“With finals like that, it’s either your day or it isn’t. We’ve been pretty unlucky in the past but thankfully last year it seemed to be our day.

“The next one is the big one, and I’d love to be there or thereabouts and have a shot at the Grand Final at the end of the year.

“There’s a lot of work to do before that, so hopefully we can build nicely throughout the year and be there or thereabouts come the business end of the year.”

Although he was among the internationals who only returned to training at the start of the new year, he is confident in the shape he is in.

“I’ve come in at the same time as I did last year, so I lose just less than a week of preparation with the season starting a bit earlier," he said.

“With the training I did last year I was ready for the start of the season, and I’m feeling good at the minute and hope I’ll be in the same sort of body shape and mind frame come kick-off."

He is looking forward to working alongside his GB and England teammate Gareth Widdop as the season unfolds.

“He’s really good at controlling, squaring the line up, he’s got a really good kicking game and he’s a really good organiser," said Clark.

“I think we lacked that a bit last year.

“I think he’ll miss a couple of games, but it’s a long season and there’s a lot of games.

"I don’t think it will affect us too much at the start but obviously the sooner we can get him on the field the better.”