John Cartwright previews the 249th Hull derby.
If you think that John Cartwright has given up on Hull FC’s season, then think again. In fact, the head coach is setting his side up to take on league leaders Hull KR with one thing in mind: victory.
And while he may be down on troops due to injury, Cartwright, preparing the Black and Whites for the most defining part of the year, isn’t short of motivation.
Sitting one point behind Wakefield Trinity, who suffered a shock loss to Castleford Tigers on Friday night, the Hull boss knows what’s at stake, and with home games against Warrington Wolves and Catalans Dragons to come, he’s determined to keep Hull’s season and play-off push alive until the final minute of the final round.
“We’ve got to play as hard as we can until the end,” Cartwright, speaking to Hull Live ahead of the clash, said. “Whatever happens, we’ve got three games and we’ve got to compete hard in all three games. I saw Manchester United got beaten by Grimsby the other night – anything can happen.
“We’re not glossing over opportunities and it’s still game on as far as finals are concerned. There are three games to go and we’ve just got to keep backing ourselves.”
Fully aware of what the Hull derby means, Cartwright is raring to go. He continued: “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been to Craven Park. In my playing career, I never got to play over there, and I’ve never been to the ground either.
“It’s an atmosphere I’m looking forward to and it’s a game that both clubs and both sets of fans circle on the calendar when it’s coming up. We’re going there to win the game – that’s for sure.”
And while the derby stakes are big for Hull FC, the same applies for Hull KR, who are looking to close in on Super League’s League Leaders Shield with a 21st league win of the season.
“You can sense there’s an extra importance to the game,” Cartwright said. “It’s a rivalry that’s been going on for a long, long time. We played them twice earlier this year; they were both at home, and they were both fantastic games with fantastic atmospheres. I can’t see this one being any different.”
He added: “These are the games that you want to be involved in. There are some games you play that don’t provide atmosphere and there’s not a lot on the line, but this is a game where there’s a hell of a lot on the line. For those lucky enough to be selected, there’s a big opportunity to go out and impress.
“It’s a game that sold out many weeks ago and there’s a lot riding on the game. It’s not just the derby; we’re looking at this as a chance to win and jump ourselves into the six.”
As for the contest, Hull know what to expect. They know what’s coming, but stopping it is a whole different story.
“We know what to expect from Hull KR and they’ve got a lot of depth,” Cartwright said. “We’re not expecting anything easy from them. We have to match them. They’re very good at their kick chase and their line speed, and if they dominate in those areas of the field, then they are very hard to beat.
“We have to try and match them in those areas, be good with our discipline, and be good where we finish our sets. The focus is on us.”