Hull are under adversity, but that’s where John Cartwright wants his side to thrive.
Hull FC players celebrate a defensive win.
Hull FC have talked about being the team that never gives in, that rolls the sleeve up, and that fight until the death no matter what, but for John Cartwright, they’ve got to keep backing up their words with action.
Digging deep to defeat Bradford Bulls in their Super League opener last week, Hull’s challenge now is to do it all again. And the test doesn’t get much bigger, with the Black and Whites heading over the Pennines to take on Wigan Warriors on Saturday night.
Knowing they have moved forward over the last 15 months, the goal now is to take the next step, and with Hull struck with adversity this week on the injury front, it’s another opportunity to turn up with the right minerals and show what they’re all about.
“You can talk about it all you like, but you’ve got to see those types of things in action,” Cartwright told Hull Live. “I saw it several times last year and it was nice to kick off the season seeing it again.
“We just need to keep getting better at what we do. There’s a lot of areas where we could improve on last week, combinations and things like that, but I thought we played tough when we had to and we worked really hard. Now it’s about fine tuning those areas.”
Hull’s win over the Bulls was all thanks to big moments in defence, scramble defence, and last ditch defence. They are all moments they need to see once more, and akin to last year’s Challenge Cup win – heroics that kickstarted Hull as a serious team in the British game again.
“It was based on hard work and a lot of belief,” Cartwright recalled on that famous night. “We were down at some stages and we came back.
“Unfortunately, that’s not going to help us come Saturday, but that was part of our building on what we have come to expect from the team about never giving up. You don’t always get a win at the end of the day, but if you keep playing until the final whistle, then you never know.
“It’s a new game and a new season now, and it’s going to be a battle, but we know that no matter who we play, if we play anywhere near our best, then we can beat anyone. That’s the belief we have picked up and that we earned last year.”
Gearing up to head over the Pennines, Hull know if they control the controllable, then they’ll be in the fight at least.
“Preparation is key for us,” Cartwright continued. “We need to prepare well. Wigan are Wigan. They do have a bit of an aura about them. Hopefully last year we have learned to deal with that, but they’re tough no matter where you play them.
“They’re a great club with a great history. They’ve been able to carry on that history year on year on year. I know they respect that history and they reward effort. They get great crowds too.
“I think we’ve got all that covered in Hull. It’s just being able to do that year on year. We’re nowhere near where they are. We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s something to aspire to.”
Laying out the challenge for his Hull side, Cartwright added: “We’ve just got to be ruthless. If we get in front, we’ve got to be ruthless to stay in front, if we’re behind, we’ve got to be ruthless to stick to our plan. In a tight situation, we can’t be scared to make decisions or go for things.
“If you want to win big games and be there at the end of the year, you’ve got to be all of those things consistently more than the opposition. We need to be prepared to go there and perform. We’ve got to get there hungry and be ready to go.”