Hull lost Jed Cartwright after 15 seconds of Friday’s game at Salford.
22:49, 06 Feb 2026Updated 23:11, 06 Feb 2026
Hull FC head coach John Cartwright.(Image: SW PIX)
John Cartwright has confirmed that Hull FC back rower Jed Cartwright was taken to hospital after taking a ‘fair whack’ in the very first play of Friday’s 60-0 Challenge Cup victory over Salford RLFC.
The forward came off second best after the opening Salford carry from the kick-off and while laid on the deck, received treatment for several minutes before being accompanied off the field by the medical staff.
Thankfully, the player has now come around and is on the mend, but the protocols surrounding head injuries mean he will be ruled out of the Super League opener against Bradford Bulls next week after failing his HIA.
Cartwright was replaced by new Hull signing Connor Bailey – one of six players to debut at Salford – who played the full 80 minutes after coming on after just 15 seconds of play.
“Jed went to hospital,” Hull’s head coach confirmed after the game. “He wasn’t in a good way in the shed. That’s why they sent him to hospital, but he’s come through now and he knows what is going on around him.
“He’s back to normal as far as that is concerned, but he’s taken a fair whack. It gave Connor Bailey an opportunity, which was good to see. That certainly got him into the game pretty early.”
Cartwright also confirmed that Will Pryce wasn’t risked, citing a tight hamstring. However, the full-back is expected to play against the Bulls next week.
“He was just a bit tight in the hammy,” Cartwright said. “It’s nothing to worry about. He trained the whole week, but like I said this week, anyone who was in any doubt, we wouldn’t play. He’ll be fine for the Bradford game.
“Everyone else is okay, as far as I know. All the 17, there’s only Jed who won’t be available next week.”
Meanwhile, Cartwright lauded Jake Arthur’s display after victory, with the half-back scoring one of 11 tries but, more importantly, stepping up with his kicking game and control of the Hull side – a welcome respite for Aidan Sezer, who got through unscathed in his 55 minutes or so of action. Zak Hardaker was also taken off as planned and too has come away unscathed.
“I thought he was really dominant,” Arthur said. “His kicking game was spot on and I thought he grew as the game went further. He got his hands on the ball and that’s what you want from him. He played last week and I thought his control and composure, particularly defensively, were really strong. He was really good for us.
“We just wanted to get minutes in Aidan. He did what he needed to do. He’s experienced enough to know what he had to get out of the game. At the 55-mark, he had done what he needed to do. It’s the same same with Zak.”
Cartwright also praised Litten after a hat-trick display – the first of his senior career. The Hull-born back played at full-back and was involved throughout.
“He played on the ball, which is what we asked him to do,” Cartwright said. “He lived around the ruck and when we got some speed around the play the ball, he took advantage of it.”
Commenting on the game, Cartwright also played up Salford’s performance. The home side showed spirit and a times frustrated Hull before the visitors ran away with the game in the second half.
“They’re always tough games when you’re expected to win,” Cartwright added. “I thought Salford played gritty and they made life hard for us, but I think we did what we needed to do.
“We picked a lot of the players who will be available against Bradford, just so we could spend some time together in a proper game. We haven’t been able to do that yet, particularly through the off-season, and just with the guys who had surgery at the end of last season, it was a good opportunity to get them together. It was a good tough hit out. They made it hard for us.
“It’s a different sort of fitness too. You can train as much as you like, but it doesn’t matter who you play in a game; the tackles are real and the running is real, and there’s something at the end of it – there’s the chance to stay in the Challenge Cup. It’s way better than any training session, and again, Salford, at times, and when that crowd got behind them, they made life difficult for us.
“It was horrible conditions, too; it rained all game and it wasn’t warm out there either. It was a tough night, but I’m glad that we went that way.”
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