John Cartwright confirmed there are no injury worries for Hull FC star Zak Hardaker – with his withdrawal with around five minutes to go nothing more than a well-earned rest.
Hardaker was at the forefront of Hull’s victory at Salford Red Devils on Sunday afternoon, with the Black and Whites running out 38-6 winners to move back into the top six positions after 15 rounds.
The 33-year-old, who featured in the back row once again, was at the heart of it, with Cartwright explaining to Hull Live post-match: “It was just to give him a rest. He’s played pretty much every minute of every game that he has played, so it was just a good opportunity to give him a bit of a break.
“He’s enjoying it, the back row, so he tells me. It is a learner position, but he’s a smart footballer, and that’s why he has adapted to it really well. It’s just the physical side from playing in the outside backs for most of his career, but he’s the sort of player that likes to be busy and likes to be occupied, so it’s suiting him at the minute.”
Elsewhere, Cartwright also praised winger Harvey Barron for a strong comeback performance but insisted that level should be the expectation now. Barron was one of several players to make basic errors against Castleford Tigers last time out. However, he responded with a strong account which included a try late on.
On the other wing, Lewis Martin scored his 19th of the season, but for Cartwright, the real expectation lies in the backfield, with the wingers carrying hard and getting Hull on the front foot while defensively nailing their reads.
“We’ve got to expect that now,” Cartwright said. “They’re young boys, but they’ve been around a while now, and they know what’s expected. It’s a long season, a tough season, and you’re not going to be at your best every week, but I thought Harvey bounced back really well. As did Davy Litten – there were a few errors, but just his attitude and, more importantly, defensively, I thought he was sound this week.”
Cartwright also handed a first appearance to young Hull FC half-back Jack Charles. That saw Cade Cust, a try-scorer on his return to Salford, move to the hooking role late on.
“It was good to see Cade at nine,” Cartwright added. “It gave Jack a chance to get some footy and Cade a chance to play nine. It added some variety to our attack. Jack has just been burnt with injuries, but he’s had about a month back now and he’s done really well in the reserve grade. This was just a chance to give him some game time at this level. He’s worked really hard.”