It’s been tough; it’s been gruelling, but it’s also been enjoyable; those are some of the takeaways from Hull FC’s pre-season so far. Hard at work at training, the Black and Whites have split their time between fitness and ball work, with one area in particular a key focus: the play the ball.

The centrepiece of any successful rugby league team, Hull have been working on both sides of it: attack and defence. Practicing their first contact, their wrestle, their peel, their marker work, and their retreat to the defensive line, John Cartwright has left no stone unturned.

Hull’s new boss for the next three years, the head coach knows the importance of dominating the ruck, something Hull just didn’t do last season, leaking metres and struggling to find their own. That left them in an uphill battle every week, with Cartwright passing on key details around technique as they look to become a better drilled and more controlled side in 2025.

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"It's everything," Cartwright told Hull Live. "The speed of the play the ball is everything in the game these days, and the lawmakers are constantly trying to find the right balances with slow and fast rucks.

"You can't have it too fast as it causes a lot more injuries, high shots, and late shots, as you're on the backfoot the whole time, but watching the games last year, both here and in the NRL, I think they're on the money there with the speed of it. If you earn that extra split second in the ruck, then they give it to you.

"That's what it's all about. If you're constantly giving away fast play the balls and you're getting slow ones yourself, then you're not going to beat anyone. That's the most basic of the basics: hitting hard in defence and winning tackles, and then you can get a game on from there. If you're not getting that part of your game right, you're wasting your time practicing anything else."

He continued: "There's a lot of technique involved in trying to buy time in the ruck. There's a lot of rules around it, too; you can't touch anywhere around the head or neck or huge pressure points.

"It is a huge skill and technique on it's own, but the beauty of it when you get pretty good at it is that your size isn't a major thing. Your size matters in the initial contact, but after that contact, your size, if you’re very good at the technique of it, doesn't play a huge role in controlling the ruck. If you get good technique after contact, then it's more important than the size of the player. That’s been our focus; technique, and I couldn't be happier with the attitude of the players so far."

Creating a more professional environment, Cartwright has also been big on discipline this pre-season. That starts with players' preparation the night before training, but also when they’re here, with the squad eating together first thing. They are then into longer and more intense days, getting the sessions they need day to day as they look to execute their plan leading into 2025.

"We addressed discipline, and I won't compare what happened last year, but what I know you need when you're in a team environment is discipline," Cartwright explained. "That's as far as being punctual, wearing the right clothes, and knowing where to be at certain times.

"Sometimes we have four to five sessions in a day, and if one guy is late or goes to the wrong area, it messes up not only him but everyone else. We've got some coaches who are part-time and help, so it affects their day too. They've got to understand that preparation for the day starts before they go to bed the previous night, so they know what time they go to bed, get up, and be hydrated and fed, and then hit their first assignment at the right place at the right time."

Cartwright added: “The social side of training, too, is so important. That was a big prerequisite for me, and I know they were working on it last year with the facility here. We wanted to make sure that when they have their downtime, they can spend it with each other.

"It's their time to connect, socialise, and learn about each other. A lot of it is fun; I can see connections that are happening here. They are getting to know each other, and in a tight situation, you are more likely to help out someone who you've bonded with than a total stranger. That’s something we’re big on; we want to be a tight and committed team next year."

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