John Cartwright is confident his Hull FC players will stick to the required standard for the rest of the season after a performance pick-up that has reignited their play-off push.
The Black and Whites lost four of their last five Super League games before last week’s win at Leigh Leopards, with a reset after the Magic Weekend defeat to Huddersfield Giants ensuring that early season standards are met again.
Falling below that expectation, Hull regrouped in what was a tough week of training before two much more acceptable displays against Leeds and the Leythers.
And while they didn’t get the result against the Rhinos, they did at Leigh, with Cartwright focused on maintaining that performance level no matter the result. If his side does that, then there is every confidence in camp that a top six finish will be a formality.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash against Catalans, the head coach said: “I like them to know what to expect, whether we win, lose or draw, for the week ahead. That goes for the remaining weeks of the competition – that sets the standard, and we all know where we sit.
“I like to think I know what to expect from them when they get selected, and I’m pretty sure they know what to expect from me on the back of any sort of performance.”
Working in tandem with assistant coaches Simon Grix and Andy Last, Cartwright believes an understanding has been met, with the Australia boss airing the comfort and trust between the coaching setup.
“I’ve got good friends and good staff,” Cartwright continued. “I think the worst thing you can do as a coach is try to do things on your own, but I feel safe and comfortable with the staff within the environment here.
“I trust them, and they’ve been great. And when the alone times come, there’s no hiding from it; you’ve just got to deal with it, but for me it’s trust in what we have here. When you feel alone, that’s when you feel most vulnerable, and when I’m here, I never feel alone.”
Cartwright – who signed a three-year deal at Hull ahead of the 2025 season – had family over from Australia for the Leigh game, with more set to come over to England this summer. That family connection has been huge throughout the club and something they are keen to embrace, from staff, players, and coaches alike.
“I’ve had a bit of family over recently, which is something I’ve been looking forward to,” he added. “I’ve got more coming over while the weather is good – I’ve got a group of friends coming over too. I’ve been playing a bit of golf lately, which I enjoy.
“When you’re not involved with footy over here and you’re a long way from home, it’s a totally different culture that you’ve got to get used to, but I’m just enjoying the downtime.”