John Cartwright left his position at Hull FC last month.
John Cartwright waves to the Hull FC fans.(Image: SW PIX)
John Cartwright has spoken for the first time since he was ‘stepped down’ from the Hull FC head coach position – citing ‘trust and respect’ as two reasons why his tenure had come to a premature end.
The former Black and Whites coach was told last month that a six-month termination clause would be activated in his contract, meaning he would be let go at the end of the 2026 season. But despite that option being exercised, he was due to stay on until the end of the current season.
However, that reality changed the following week ahead of Hull’s game against St Helens, with Cartwright delivering a fiery press conference on the Monday before the fixture, stating that he felt ‘disrespected and betrayed’ by the club’s hierarchy. He went on to question a lack of recruitment, naming the CEO, or to put it bluntly, Richie Myler.
Ultimately, the decision was then made to ‘step down’ Cartwright after the Saints game, with the Australian placed on gardening leave. And now the 60-year-old has spoken for the first time since those events concluded.
Posting on his LinkedIn account, Cartwright wrote: “The end of another chapter for me. Have loved every minute of my time at Hull FC. Special thank you to the faithful who have made me feel so welcome.
“I have formed friendships that will last forever. You don’t always get to leave the way you want but the things we have built as a group, like trust and respect, are unfortunately the reason I could not continue.
“Lastly, to the staff and playing group, you have made my time here the most memorable of my coaching career. We have come so far and the best is yet to be.”
Cartwright was appointed by Hull ahead of the 2025 season and led the side to a seventh-place finish in Super League. But a poor start to the 2026 campaign brought concerns, and ultimately, the club decided to go in a different direction, hiring Steve McNamara as their new head coach for the 2027 season on a four-year deal.
Andy Last is in interim charge for the rest of the year before McNamara’s arrival, with the side defeating Castleford Tigers in his first game last week before a disappointing defeat to Toulouse Olympique on Sunday afternoon.