John Cartwright is backing his Hull FC side to overcome their latest injury setback and put in a good performance against Castleford Tigers this Friday night.
The Black and Whites are at home for the first time in over 50 days but will return to the MKM Stadium without star full-back Will Pryce, who has a hamstring injury.
Pryce suffered the knock in the latter stages of last month’s victory at Catalans Dragons and is looking at 8-10 weeks out injured. However, while sharing the disappointment of losing such a talent, Cartwright is backing his squad to still get the job done, having shown an impressive attitude and buy-in no matter what has been thrown at them this year.
Hull are set to welcome back Cade Cust into their side for the round 14 clash, allowing Jordan Rapana to slot in at full-back. Amir Bourouh, too, is fit to play after overcoming a crack on his cheekbone.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Cartwright said: “There are not many players like him in the game. You’ve got (Jai) Field and (Bevan) French, but there are not many, and Will is one of those players that can just change a game and score tries out of nothing.
“It really, really helps your side. He was just starting to find his feet and feel comfortable in his surroundings. It’s a big blow for us, but we’re fortunate that we’ve got Cade Cust to come back and Jordan Rapana, who has done some great things for us at full-back so far this year.
“You want Will in your team, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve got to make the best of what we have, and we’re fortunate at the moment that we have a couple of good bodies to put in those spots.
“We’ve had five or so sessions training together now without Will. We’ll train again in the captain’s run on Thursday, and we’ll sort it out.”
Cartwright also confirmed that Logan Moy is an option for Hull on Friday. The teenager has eight FC appearances under his name this year and also played on dual reg at Doncaster two weeks ago, scoring a try in the second half.
“He had a good twenty minutes out there,” Cartwright said. “He did a good job and scored a good try. He won’t die wandering, Logan; he’s a tough little bugger, and if he gets an opportunity, he won’t let us down.”
And as for the long-term health of his squad, Cartwright has aired his excitement about fielding a side later this year at full strength, or as close to full strength as possible.
“I really hope we get to a point where everyone is available,” he added. “It not only looks better on paper, but it also puts fellas in a position where they are playing for their spots every week. Some experienced guys are going to miss out if and when we get everyone available.
“I can’t wait for that day to happen. It will make us a whole lot stronger as a club, but I’m really happy with the way the players are dealing with setbacks with their performance and their output. They’re really buying in to what we’re trying to achieve here, and their attitude has been fantastic. It’s a big opportunity again on Friday, and everyone here is looking forward to it.”