John Cartwright reacts to Will Pryce’s knee injury, a knock for Joe Batchelor, and Hull FC’s defeat.
22:58, 21 Feb 2026Updated 02:31, 22 Feb 2026
Hull FC full-back Will Pryce suffered a knee injury at Wigan.(Image: SW PIX)
Hull FC will send Will Pryce for scans over the weekend to determine the severity of a knee injury picked up in Saturday’s defeat at Wigan Warriors.
The Black and Whites were comfortably beaten at the Brick Community Stadium, with Pryce going down awkwardly towards the end of the 34-6 defeat.
Pryce left the field in visible discomfort. However, it’s too early for Hull to say at this stage what the 23-year-old has done, with scans on Monday set to give the club a fuller picture. For now, they have everything crossed on receiving the best-case scenario.
Asked what he can tell us about Pryce now, Cartwright said in his post-match press conference, “Not a lot. The doctor has had a look at him. It’s more hopeful at the moment that it’s not serious.
“It’s way too early. He’s still too warm from the game. We need to let him cool down and get some scans done on him, and we’ll then go from there.
“It looked like he got put in an awkward situation. The knee isn’t made to bend the way that it did. There’s a bit of instant pain and a bit of a scare. Fingers crossed it’s best case rather than worse.”
Elsewhere, Hull also lost Joe Batchelor to a knock during the game, with the back rower doing it tough on two accounts.
“Joe has pulled up quite sore,” Cartwright said. “He has a calf and a shoulder issue. It’s still pretty early. We’ll check him.”
On those who missed the Wigan game – Zak Hardaker, Jake Arthur, John Asiata, and James Bell – Cartwright explained: “Zak has had an ankle problem. He should be alright for next week (York Knights at home).
“Jake Arthur isn’t too far away, and John Asiata and James Bell too – we’ll give them every chance. If we get the okay with any of them, then they’ll be available.”
And on the Wigan defeat itself, Cartwright had no complaints, with the Warriors relentless in their performance. They dominated the game and once they got a foothold, they didn’t let it slip, with Hull on the back foot and struggling to get out of their own half all game.
“We were up against it from the word go,” Cartwright said. “They were very good and we weren’t so good.
“Games of rugby league are won through the middle of the field, by gaining ascendancy through the middle of the field – sometimes it’s a stalemate and sometimes a side just gets on top.
“They bashed us up. We were on the back foot for the whole time. We couldn’t get out of our own end. Their line speed was enormous and their contact was enormous. They just beat us in all of those areas.
“They got the ascendancy, and if we could have just held them out, it may have turned the game for us, but we gave up a couple of early tries and they built momentum. They never went away. They were methodical for the whole 80 minutes.
“In the second half, all we could do was try to win that and build some momentum. But even though the second half was a lot closer, we were still just hanging on. They were brutal in everything they did and they taught us a lesson.”
On the dominance seen in the packs, Cartwright added: “They play through the middle of the field and it started there – I’m not just blaming the middle of the field but that’s the heartbeat of your team and players play off the back of it.
“Our young wingers also learnt a lesson tonight. We were just given no space. Their line speed just destroyed us. All I can say is 1-0 to Wigan, but we won’t be bashed up the field like that again.”