The Hull FC head coach on 2026 determination, his side’s big improvements, and kicking on this year.
Hull FC head coach John Cartwright. (Image: SW PIX)
There were moments in 2025 when John Cartwright thought his Hull FC side could truly do something special.
Knocking Wigan Warriors out of the Challenge Cup was one of those moments; the performance away at Leigh Leopards was another. Ultimately, a gripping injury total got the better of Hull towards the end of the year, and the side ended up finishing seventh and missing out on the Super League play-offs, but now on the eve of the 2026 season, Cartwright is ready to go again.
The 60-year-old has the bit between his teeth and after leading a campaign where Hull truly put the misery of 2024 behind them to rise again, the goal is go one step further. And Cartwright, into season two of a three-year deal, believes the club are in a better position to do just that.
“Last year has just made me even more determined,” Cartwright, speaking to Hull Live, said. “There were stages through last year where I really thought we could do something special.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t end up that way, but I never doubted the effort of the players. They turned up, they played injured, they trained hard, they prepared well – they gave everything they had, but at the end of the day, we weren’t good enough.
“That’s what the pre-season has been about now: getting better, and this is a new year. I always believe we can do something special going into a year, and when we start playing, we’ll see where we are at.
“But the club is in a way better position, from where I sit as coach of this club, to where we sit with our ownership, our staff, our facilities, and the recruiting we’ve been able to do – the club is just in a way better position now to hopefully achieve some long-term success.
“I genuinely think we’ve improved already. We’ve had another year together now but I think we’re a stronger team right across the board and throughout the squad with the recruiting that we’ve done. We’re ready to go.”
Bringing in eight new players, from Harvie Hill to Joe Batchelor, James Bell, Jake Arthur, Sam Lisone, and Arthur Romano, Cartwright believes his team now has the necessary experience, competition, and depth to go one further, but he’s also seen his stars from last year kick on and find their groove this pre-season, resulting in increased fitness levels and even more determination.
The play-offs are now the collective goal, with consistency and availability sought to make aspiration a reality – starting with Bradford Bulls at the MKM Stadium on Saturday evening.
“They bring even more experience to us,” Cartwright said of his new recruits. “They know how to train, how to win, and just things off the field; every reason we brought them for, they have demonstrated to me in the pre-season.
“It’s hard to get a read on where you are in pre-season; you speak to every coach and they’ll tell you they’re pretty happy with how hard they’ve trained and where their squad is at at the moment but we’ll learn a lot more when we start playing.
“For us, it’s just about improving, and the results will then look after themselves. We need to be more consistent – we know that. The games were ones we thought we probably should have won on paper, but games aren’t won on paper – they’re won by getting your own stuff right.
“We had different times of the year when we had a lot of players on the sideline, and it’s always hard to be consistent when that happens, but the good sides do it. That’s where we’re aiming to be.”
Outlining some key focuses of pre-season, Cartwright continued: “We have put a real focus on making sure we get the training right – it’s what we focus on more than anything else.
“We make sure players report everything, and then the physios check them over. We cater training around all of that: the conditions, who is available, everything.
“We’re in a good spot. Our testing tells us that they were fitter than they were this time last year. We can’t do anything else. We’ve got to this stage of the year and we’re pretty healthy. The challenge now is to stay that way.”
And for his own time in black and white, Cartwright is at home. The Australian has bought into the passion of the club and is determined now to take the next step.
“I love the game,” Cartwright added. “I love what it represents and what it’s done for me. That’s the main thing in coaching for me: making sure players respect the game and understand a lot more about the game than just going out there and playing every week.
“But the will to win hasn’t gone anywhere. I’m really enjoying my time at this club and seeing where it’s going. I’m excited at what the future holds.”
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