John Cartwright is keeping his cool despite an upturn in Hull FC form in recent weeks. The Black and Whites have hit their groove again after a disappointing Magic Weekend defeat to Huddersfield last month.
They performed well at Leeds but didn’t get the two points, but they got the job done against both Leigh and Catalans and, in the process, climbed back into the Super League play-off picture.
But while there’s a natural belief and excitement in his squad, especially when they go full tilt, there’s also a welcome calmness from Cartwright, who keeps his counsel no matter what the outcome.
That temperament is serving Hull well, who have a real shot at a top-six finish this year – something which would be a remarkable finish given the troubles of last year and how written off they were.
Speaking post-match in Perpignan, Cartwright said: “If we can keep winning the odd game here and there and keep ourselves around where we’re sitting at the moment, I really fancy us when we get our full team out with everyone available.
“But as for the top six, we’re not even talking about it, and it’s not even a goal that we’ve spoken about. All the time it’s been about getting the club back to where it needs to be, being competitive, and playing for each other, and that’s what it’ll be for the rest of the year.
“It’s week by week. I know you all want different answers, but it is. I can’t control what happens next week. We could have lost another one here in Amir (gone for x-rays on a possible fracture to his cheekbone), so there’s no point making plans; it’s get back to training, see who’s available, and get ready for Cas.
“It’s been a big effort over the last month, really – we had Magic, and then we’ve had three tough away games in Leeds, Leigh and now over here, so to get two out of the three wins, I thought, on the back of a really ordinary performance against Huddersfield, credit to the players. They’ve really turned it around.”
Hull’s home comforts will be very welcome at the MKM Stadium as they target a first home win of the year. They’ve played just four of their 13 rounds so far at home and will be targeting another big performance against Castleford Tigers.
As for the fans, who have backed the club to the hilt this year, Cartwright said: “It’s magic – the noise they made and the players, you can see how they treat them after the game. They are genuinely appreciative of what they do for us.
“The smiles on the faces after the game – I’m looking forward to going out and having a few beers with them. They’ve been great for us – we’ve won seven away now, and a lot of those guys have been to all of those games. They travel wherever we go, they’re loud, they cheer, and the players really appreciate it.
“They’re called the 14th player, and sometimes they are. We’re really fortunate; we were defending our try line in the second half, and they were right behind us. They were at their loudest probably when we were stopping Catalans from scoring, and it helps – it lifts you.
“You can’t put a price on what it does for you in that moment but also at the end of the game. It’s tough to win a game at this level, and to be able to celebrate it with fans like that – it’s been great.”
Before the Castleford game, Hull have a week off as Super League pauses for the Challenge Cup final, with Cartwright outlining the club’s plans.
He added: “It will be the same as what we did in the week leading up to the Leeds game. We’ll give them a good break now. We’ll train Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and then give them the weekend off. We’ll then get ready for Cas next Friday.”