John Cartwright has offered a big incentive to his Hull FC side ahead of Thursday night’s clash with Wakefield Trinity: continue to silence the doubters.
The Black and Whites can take a big step towards the Super League play-offs with a victory over the West Yorkshire club, one which would leapfrog them back into the top six positions after dropping out last week.
And with Hull tipped pre-season for little else than a bottom four, or even a bottom two, finish, that motivation is spurring Cartwright on, with a key message passed to his players ahead of what promises to be a big battle at the MKM Stadium.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Cartwright, who is navigating a short turnaround following defeat to St Helens last week, said: “There is no time to think about it and no time to feel sorry for ourselves. It’s a short turnaround, and we’ve got ten games to go.
“We’ll attack every game and challenge ourselves. We’ve put ourselves in a position where we’ve got an opportunity to play semi-final football, which I think, at the start of the year, not many people thought we would. We need to find some rhythm now.”
And on the season as a whole, which sees Hull on eight wins and eight losses, with a draw also to their name, Cartwright continued: “We’re going to be judged on what happens after the last game, but we’re probably a pass mark at the moment.
“I think we’re sitting 50/50 with wins and losses, and I know in the NRL, if you end up with that, you generally play semi-finals at the end of the year. I’m happy with certain areas and not happy with other areas, but I think every other coach in Super League would say the same at this stage.”
Remarkably, Hull are looking for a first home win of the season against Wakefield. All eight of their league scalps so far have come on the road, with two further cup victories to their name. And with seven defeats from their last ten games, including three of the last four, the head coach knows what his side needs to fix up most.
“The core of the game is catching the ball, playing the ball, kicking the ball, and making your tackles,” Cartwright added. “Sometimes you look for answers that aren’t there, but if you stick to those principles, you won’t go too far away. I think that’s it—you’d be searching for answers if you were looking for anything else. I think it’s been pretty self-explanatory.
“We’ve just got to enjoy the position we’re in. If you’re scared of it or run away from it, you’re not going to be in the contest. We’ve got to embrace it and enjoy the challenge in front of us. Everyone involved in this game loves playing in big games and big occasions, and this is one of those. It’s another step along the way.”