It’s been another busy week at Hull FC on the retention and recruitment front.
John Cartwright believes Hull FC’s latest contract renewals are further proof of the club’s long-term vision, with the head coach insisting that the club has to keep building from within as they look to strengthen their position in the coming years.
The Black and Whites have confirmed new deals for Matty Laidlaw, Will Kirby, and Joe Ward this week, with Laidlaw in particular part of recent matchday squads that have seen around half of Hull’s line-up all club-produced.
Pinpointing the importance of such development, Cartwright, who has outlined two key factors behind the renewals, is also hoping his young players get further playing opportunities in a more thorough and expanded reserve competition next season – with the current competition played on a biweekly basis –
Speaking in his weekly press conference, Cartwright said: “You’ve got to keep building from within. The long-term plan of the club is to source local boys and give them opportunities and then reward them when their form warrants it.
“They’re only young boys, and they’re still only at the start of their careers, but I really look forward to them being able to play more consistently next year with a larger reserve grade competition kicking off, which I think every club will participate in.
“At the end of the day, that’s where we’ve got to get our numbers from: all clubs. If you can keep bringing them from within your system and your junior programmes, it puts less pressure on you to go and sign players from overseas and other clubs.
“That’s what you aim to do, and at stages this year we’ve had seven or eight from our academy who have gone out to play first grade. Against Wigan we had that, and we do spend a lot of time and money on our 16s and 18s and trying to get them ready for Super League careers.”
And on the three renewals, which saw Laidlaw, 21, sign a one-year extension and Kirby and Ward, both 19, put pen to paper on two-year deals, Cartwright continued: “They are all good in different areas, but they’re all tough boys – I think that’s a critical component – and they all compete hard. If you’ve got those two elements in your game, they are the most important things if you want to advance further.
“We just need to keep training them hard and get them games of football – that’s the key. That’s been my challenge and every coach’s challenge. You like to think, as a coach, that you have a major input into them, but where they improve is playing against men in a tough competition. Hopefully, as a game, that’s where we’re heading to.”
The Hull boss has also laid out the importance of club player development amid the decision from Super League owners to expand the competition from 12 to 14 teams. He said: “The worry I have is having enough players to come into the three sides without dispersing the talent. In effect, that takes away from your product and then just the pathways underneath.
“The game needs to keep working hard on the others underneath to make sure that we do have enough players – if we’re going to go with 14 teams, then we need to work very hard on producing players.”
Aware of that importance, Hull, in the midst of a club rebuild after some below-par years, are looking to strike the perfect balance with their youth development and external recruitment. This year, they have complemented their youth with experienced signings, both domestically and from overseas – a process that has seen them make inroads this season with the likes of Harvey Barron, Davy Litten, and Lewis Martin continuing to shine alongside veterans Zak Hardaker, Aidan Sezer, and the like.
It’s a process set to continue in the upcoming years, with a lesser-known member of staff playing a crucial role after investing in a player database last year, one which has searched the rugby league world for a new half-back with Jake Arthur the latest target.
“We’ve got to find balance within our squad,” Cartwright stated. “We’ve got to look where we need to strengthen, and it’s all got to be balanced out with the salary cap. It’s a science and something you’ve got to keep working on.
“Things change pretty quickly – you think you’ve got a player on board, and it can fall over at the last minute. Then you miss out on someone else who you were initially interested in. It can be quite frustrating at times, but it’s also enjoyable.
“It is a big part of the game now. We look at where we need to improve the squad. Dan Blundell (performance analyst) does a lot of the recruitment for us now; he’s the initial point of contact. We say we need front-rowers or centres or whatever it may be, and he sources out every player that’s off contract in that position. It’s then a process of rating them, thinking about where they will fit within the salary cap, and things like that. It’s an organised process.”