John Cartwright is backing Cade Cust to add a different ‘dynamic’ to Hull FC at Wigan Warriors this Saturday afternoon. The Black and Whites take on Matt Peet’s side for the fourth time of the season and will do so with a new-look spine on show.
That new-look spine will see Cust start the game in the hooker position, a role he has moved into in the latter part of the last three fixtures. The Australian also has experience of the position at previous club Salford Red Devils and, again, while at Wigan, and was actually signed to cover both positions this year.
And now the 26-year-old will do exactly that, with Jack Charles likely to partner Aidan Sezer in the halves, with teenage hooker Will Hutchinson on the interchange and poised for a fourth senior appearance.
Speaking on his spine players, Cartwright said in his pre-match press conference: “It’s a different role. If you’re playing hooker, it’s a whole lot different from playing six or seven. You’re right in the middle of the field, and you’ve got big guys running at you all day.
“We’ll have to be mindful of that and how we use our interchanges, but Cade has played there a lot, and he did a lot of it at both Salford and Wigan. In the last three games for us, he’s also floated in and around the nine role. We change our dynamic a bit as a team when he goes into nine. He’s a bit more of a runner out there, and he gives us another point of attack.”
And on Charles, Cartwright has every confidence that the player will continue to do a job for Hull, despite the high-profile stories that have broken this week regarding a move to Hull KR next year.
“It’s a way for Jack to get a feel for the game,” Carwtright replied when asked if Charles will start the game. “He got 30 minutes last week, and he keeps doing a good job for us. That’s what we ask of him. If we decide to go that way this week, I’ve got no worries about him going out there and doing a job for us.”
Cartwright also spoke highly of Hutchinson, who debuted back in February against York Acorn in the Challenge Cup, and again is looking forward to him potentially handing him more experience at Wigan.
“Both physically and football-wise, I think he’s improved,” Cartwright said. “We haven’t been able to get him out on loans, but he’s played every reserve grade game, and he plays eighty minutes.
“He’s clever with the ball, he’s got good game awareness, and he’s got good skill. He’s got good speed, and he’s a tough little character. I just like the way he goes about his business and his competitiveness. He wants to learn, and it’s a good opportunity to give him some game time against a quality opposition.”
Hutchinson is one of 16 club-produced players used by Hull this year, with many more set to knock on the door in the coming years. That process is something Carwright is excited by, but it remains a long-term one, with a key message given to the young players at the club.
“There’s a long way ahead for those guys playing below the first team,” Cartwright added. “There’s undue pressure on those guys; they just need to keep enjoying their footy and train hard. That’s what they’re doing.”