Aidan Sezer spoke after Hull FC’s loss to St Helens on Thursday night
Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com – 16/04/2026 – Rugby League – Betfred Super League Round 8 – Hull FC v St Helens – MKM Stadium, Kingston upon Hull, England – Aidan Sezer of Hull FC is tackled by St Helens
Hull FC captain Aidan Sezer has spoken for the first time since it was announced that John Cartwright would be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Cartwright was informed last week that his services would not be required beyond the end of the current season and there has been suggestions since that Thursday night’s loss to St Helens could be his last game in charge of the club.
That talk intensified after a fiery, no holds barred press conference earlier this week as Cartwright took aim at decision makers and aired a number of frustrations.
The Black and Whites ultimately fell to a 24-14 defeat on Thursday despite showing off their grit and determination once more and after the game, Cartwright appeared to be saying goodbye to the MKM Stadium and the Hull supporters.
Speaking after the game, though, Sezer outlined his desire to see Cartwright stick around and see out the season with Hull.
“I hope so and that’s being quite honest,” Sezer said when asked if he felt his head coach would see out the season. “I love playing under him. For me he’s like a father figure and hopefully he’s here for the rest of the year.
“We found out on Monday morning when Carty addressed the group. He’s an honest guy and he was transparent when he addressed the group. It hurts and on a personal level it hurts for me.
“I came back to this country for John Cartwright, he was my first coach when I was a young kid at Gold Coast. For me, I wanted to try really hard for him tonight and we did that as a team. We came up short but there’s always next week.”
Speaking on the difficult situation the club find themselves in with injuries piling up once more, Sezer added: “Ever since Carty came in we’ve played with a lot of spirit and character and as a team your coach rubs off on you.
“We’re down on troops and we’re trying really hard but no matter whatever happens within the club, inside the club and voices outside the club, we stick together and we stay as one. I thought you saw a spirited performance tonight but in footy terms we’re off and we’re just trying really hard and sometimes it’s not coming off for us.
“It would help to have your full team but most teams are understrength at this time of year so back to the drawing board for us.”