How Hull FC pulled off John Cartwright coup as new coach lays out big non-negotiable

John Cartwright decided two years ago that he wanted one last crack at being a head coach. However, little did he know that coaching opportunity would come at Hull FC, and further still, with his son Jed part of his playing squad.

But that's the reality for the Cartwrights, who are now part of the Black and Whites fabric as father and son. And for both dad and lad, it's something special to take in, especially being both a first for them and a first in the club's entire 159-year history.

For Cartwright, it also gives him connection at a new place with the Australian, who was born and bred in Penrith—another club led by another father and son in Ivan and Nathan Cleary—signing a three-year deal with the Airlie Birds. Arriving in the UK last week, he is now ready to get cracking, with the duo sharing the same manager and sold by Richie Myler's vision. The rest, as they say, is history.

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"The first thing I had to do was decide if I wanted to become a head coach again," Cartwright, speaking exclusively to Hull Live in his first media interview, said. "I've been an assistant in Australia for nearly ten years, and I came to a point a couple of years ago where I thought, I'm getting to an age where I would like to have one last crack at it. How long that goes for depends on how successful we are, but I thought it might be in the Super League. I then made my mind up, and an opportunity came about at Hull.

"The club were interested in Jed at the time, and it just went from there. Jed had been speaking to Hull, and then the coaching position became available. We've both got the same manager, and we had some interesting conversations with Richie. It was just a coincidence how it worked out that way."

And while Jed may be his son, he will get no special treatment at the club, with Cartwright Senior setting the same ground rules for his entire squad. "It's going to be pretty special," he continued. "While I've never coached him, even as a kid, I've guided him with his football ever since he became very serious about it.

"I've seen fathers work with their sons before. It is what it is, and everyone will get treated the same in the end. You're always closer with some players than you are with other players, but you can't let that get in the way of the decisions that need to be made.

"The club will have standards and there's form, and if you're ticking the standard box and your form stays good, then I don't really care who you are. That's the nuts and bolts of it. For me, you care about all of your players, especially when there's an injury; you've got your heart in your mouth, so that will be an interesting one watching him play for the first time as a coach and his father. It will be something to look forward to."

The goal for Cartwright is to transfer that father-son connection throughout the whole club. Part of State of Origin and NRL Premiership sides as a coach and player, the 59-year-old knows how important it is, with his ideologies forming off the back of such tight-knitted bonds.

"It's all about connections," he said. "The successful teams I've been involved with have all been the most connected teams. It's doing little things with each other to make the team better; it's sacrifice; it's all being on the same page. Everyone is individual, but there are certain standards within the group, both on and off the field, that will just be non-negotiable.

"But like any coach, staff, or supporters, we just want to see a team that goes out and competes hard and fights for every inch of turf on the field. If we do that, and if we set ourselves those standards and stick to those standards and the areas within our control, and we get to round one healthy, fit, and all on the same page, then we're going to see natural improvement without even worrying who is out on the field.

"If we can get those building blocks right off the field, then again, we're going to see natural improvement. For me as a coach and as a player, I never played a game where I thought I couldn't win. I never went into a game thinking we couldn't beat this side. I never believed that. I believe that whenever a side is at their best, at this elite level, they can beat anyone."

And while there are many components that make up a successful rugby league team, Cartwright's doesn't shy away from hard work and being super fit. That's the number one message ahead of Tuesday's pre-season start, with players' skill coming off the back of being the best athletes they can be.

"We've got to play to our strengths, especially in terms of how we attack games," he explained. "But I've watched every game since I knew I got the job here, and while I will be relying on our assistant coaches for their expertise, I already have my own ideas on how I like the players to play.

"For example, Herman Ese'ese is a great offloader of the ball and Logan Moy is a brilliant off the cuff sort of player, so players starting to get to know each other and what their strengths are, and playing to them, is important, but the bottom line to play this game is they are professional athletes and their bodies have to be in perfect condition. They can't be carrying any dead weight, or you won't be the best."

He added: "I won't talk about what's happened in the past as I wasn't here to witness it, but I know what I like to get out of a pre-season. This one will be tough, but it will also be smart. I certainly don't want the physio room to be the busiest room in the club, so while it has to be tough and full of hard work and getting them ready for what is a long, long season ahead, it has to be smart, too. We're cautious of that, but we can't wait to get going."

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