Hull FC had two lucky mascots as part of their victory over Wakefield Trinity last week, but there was also one unorthodox approach taken by a player as the squad looked to break their home duck.
Taking a lighter onto the field before the game, Brad Fash burnt some sage on the MKM Stadium turf, with the practice a spiritual one to eradicate bad spirits and energy. And given that Hull turned around a 10-0 half-time deficit to win the game 16-10, it certainly worked.
Cartwright, for one, wasn’t complaining, with Hull ending a 12-month wait for a home victory – their last coming against Saturday’s opponents, Wigan Warriors, back in July 2024.
“He’s got some strange habits, Fashy,” Cartwright told Hull Live with a big smirk on his face. “I learn something more about him every week. He’s a character, and you can never have enough of them. He’s a bit different, but it would be boring if we were all the same.”
Fash has come back into the Hull side after a tough run with injury over the last couple of seasons, but hopefully, the 29-year-old, granted a testimonial by the RFL following 10 years of service to his hometown club, can now kick on again.
“He’s worked really hard to get back into the 17,” Cartwright said. “He’s wholehearted is Fashy, and you know what you’re going to get from him.
“It’s a rare thing for a player to spend ten years at one club at this level, but he deserves every bit of his testimonial, and I’m sure the local people will get behind him.
“He’s doing his job for us this year, and he’ll be at the club next year. As a local boy, he should be very proud, and our fans should be very proud of the service he has given to the club.”
And while last week’s win over Wakefield brought relief, with Fash’s practices coming up trumps ahead of upcoming home games against Huddersfield Giants, Salford Red Devils, and Leigh Leopards, Cartwright knows there’s a job to do at Wigan first.
“It was a big one,” he said of last week’s victory. “There was outside pressure on winning at home. There was no internal pressure; we all want to win. We don’t go out there to lose, but to do it the way we did it was very pleasing, and I was just happy for all of the players and all the fans that were there.
“If we can turn that into a bit of a fortress, it’s going to really help us at the back end of the year. But first of all, we’ve got Wigan away, and you never get an easy game at Wigan.
“They’re fighting for top place; both sides have got plenty to play for, so we don’t expect anything different from what Wigan gives you – you’ve got to earn everything you get against them.”
Of course, Hull knocked Wigan out of the Challenge Cup back in March, but the Warriors defeated FC in both Super League clashes so far. Nonetheless, the cup win gives Hull and Cartwright’s confidence going into an important clash.
“It’s nice to know that we have done it, but this is a whole new ball game this week,” Cartwright said. “Both sides will have different teams on the paddock, and it’s a different stage of the year. It will all come down to what happens on the weekend.
“They dominated us (in the Super League games), so we’re looking to make sure we put in a big performance.”