Hull FC took a risk with their preparation but it paid offJames Smailes Head of All Out Rugby League and Yorkshire sport at Reach plc
05:00, 01 Apr 2026Updated 09:50, 01 Apr 2026
Hull FC half-back Jake Arthur celebrates victory with Cade Cust.
Hull FC head coach John Cartwright is refusing to make a big deal about his side’s shortened preparation for the derby after revealing they gambled on the Catalans preparation to allow his injury-hit squad a chance to rest.
Hull FC’s 24-20 Super League win over Catalans Dragons on Sunday has left the club with just four days to prepare for the 250th Hull derby at Craven Park, two less than their rivals who played last Friday. It’s a familiar story across the season with the fixture list often handing one side or another less preparation time.
Still, it means with a recovery day on Monday and a day off today, FC‘s players had what Cartwright says was just a “light run” on Tuesday before the traditional ‘captain’s run’ final session on Thursday. With a reduced time between games and concerns over a squad missing key names, Cartwright says planning for this week started last week.
“We were well down on troops (for Catalans). We really tried (last week), with the short turnaround this week, to try and just give as many players as much rest as we possibly could. It could have backfired on us but luckily we hung on and we got the win and we’re able to focus on the game this week.
“It’s all been recovery so far. Normally Tuesday would be a day off for the players. So we just come in and had a really light run. They’ll be off Wednesday. Then we just get a captain’s run in on Thursday. So, as a team, we haven’t trained as such yet.”
While Cartwright hasn’t had a full training session this week with his players, he can look forward to welcoming back a host of experienced names with Joe Batchelor, Cade Cust and Aidan Sezer all in contention to feature and all fresh having not had a short turn around.
The Aussie coach says he’s not concerned about the short turnaround, given the adrenaline and emotion of a derby game will ensure his players are not lacking for energy.
“We’re not real concerned about the turnaround this week because it’s the derby game,” added Cartwright. “Adrenaline will get you up for it, it will be a fantastic atmosphere.”