It’s a big year for the Hull FC back rower.
Hull FC back rower Jed Cartwright.(Image: Lewis Scott, Hull FC)
If any Hull FC player deserves some luck now on the injury front, it’s Jed Cartwright. The back rower has done everything possible to first get back to full fitness from a ruptured pec muscle at the end of last season and then a head knock in the first game of this season, and will now take his place in the Black and Whites’ line up away at Wigan Warriors on Saturday night.
In fact, the player, into his second full season at Hull, has gone above and beyond. Cutting out inflammatory foods and giving up alcohol are just two of the sacrifices he has taken this pre-season, and it’s all done with one common goal in mind: a new Hull FC deal.
Cartwright will take the first steps to doing just that over the Pennines, with Hull meeting Wigan in the Super League round two clash at the Brick Community Stadium. The forward is one of several senior players out of contract at the Black and Whites at the end of the year and has made no secret to Hull Live of his intention to earn a new deal.
An aggressive and hard-hitting edge player on both sides of the ball, finding continuity in appearance and form is now the challenge – with dad and head coach John Cartwright staying that he never wants to see the 29-year-old change the way he plays the game.
“He certainly is (due some luck now),” Cartwright told Hull Live. “He plays the game tough. He’s a big and tall thing, and there’s a lot of him, so there’s a lot to get injured, but again, he plays the game tough and I don’t ever want him to change that.
“He’s done it his whole career. He’s had some awful bad luck with injuries and he’s handled them all the same. He’s had the initial disappointment, but then you get over it, work hard, and get yourself back to play. That’s what he’s done his whole life.”
And on fighting for a new contract, the Hull coach continued: “He’s like anyone else in that form is what dictates where you are in your career and what comes next. He’s had a long career – he’s had close to ten years at the top level now and he fully understands that.”
Cartwright is now set to take the right back row spot held by Arthur Romano against Bradford Bulls last week, with the Frenchman, expected to be utilised in a different role this week, filling in to effect.
There will also be further changes after Ligi Sao’s two-match ban, allowing a potential spot for the likes of Matty Laidlaw, with Hull understood to be monitoring the fitness of at least two other players, Jake Arthur being one. However, Cartwright is confident he has the depth and competition in his squad to challenge the Warriors no matter who he has to pick from.
On that next man up mentality, Cartwright added: “We’ve got 37 players in the squad and that’s what the off-season has been about and what last year has been about – we just want to keep building the depth of our squad and the more people you have that are capable of playing Super League, the stronger your club is.”