John Cartwright press conference: Hull FC coaching trust, 'good team' traits and Wigan test
John Cartwright sat down for his pre-match Hull FC pre-match press conference ahead of Friday night's home game against Wigan Warriors. Here’s everything he had to say from the MKM Stadium.
What impressed you most about Hull FC's win in Catalans?
I was happy with their courage and their grit. We certainly weren't favourites to win down there. We were away from home in a big and hostile environment, and not many pundits gave us a chance. Football-wise, I suppose the thing that pleased me most is that we've got a lot of improvement in us. You don't just win games on how good you are with the football—there are a lot of things that go around it—and I thought in those areas we were really strong. They never gave up; they started strong, and they didn't take anything from the opposition. They kept coming forward, and while you've got that, your footy is going to keep improving, and you're going to win games.
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Did the performance surprise you?
I didn't really know what to expect. The real heat of the battle and when you know where you're really at is when you're playing for two competition points. That was our first time at it, the trials; there was some good stuff, and training has been really impressive; the guys have been pushing each other and trying hard, but that was the first real go when there were bullets coming at us. I was really impressed.
Good to get up and running?
It's always good to get your first win. You've got three months to get ready for it. There are six disappointed teams out there, but at least we don't have to worry about where that next win is coming from. There's pressure every week; it's a pretty cutthroat business we're in, and results are what count. They don't get any harder this week.
What did it mean to you personally to get the win?
Personally, it was great satisfaction. If you're in coaching just to win every game, there's not a coach in the world who does that; you spend a lot of your time kicking stones and wondering where you can get better. I was happier for the players. It's been a really tough couple of years for them, and they weren't given much of a chance to win down there, so for their confidence, just to help them realise that winning, while hard to do, is very enjoyable when you get there. It was just good to see their smiles on their faces.
I always consider myself lucky to do what I do. There are tough times in everything. The majority of the time working with young guys who want to get better, who want to learn, and who want to win. I'm in the sport that I love, so I consider myself very lucky to do what I'm doing.
There seems to be a good dynamic between you and Simon Grix and Andy Last this year. How's that working for you?
I felt trust from them from the very first moment I met them. That's probably more important than anything. They know the game, and they are very hard-working. They're good guys to bounce things off. I've got nothing but positive things to say about those two boys and the whole staff in general, to be honest with you.
Grixy had a big smile on his face (last week), as you can imagine. It was hard watching for him, and I certainly felt for him last year going through what the whole side and the whole club went through. I said it after the game, but it's a totally new experience here now with new owners, new players, new staff, and facilities upgraded—all that sort of stuff. We're really happy turning to work and having what we have.
What's your reaction to the player charges this week?
It is what it is. You’ve just got to deal with them now. They seem pretty severe looking at some things that happened, but that's it moving forward. We know where the line in the sand is; you've just got to be disciplined.
Any arguments?
Not with the way the rules are. You’ve got a responsibility to take care of the player that you tackle.
A word for Lane after his 150th club appearance?
It's really well-deserved. I’ve been so impressed with him since I've been here. He’s the ultimate professional; he trains hard, he's fit, and he's a good teammate. He's a local boy too. For me, he's a gem.
What are your thoughts on the captain's challenge?
Hopefully they can speed up the process a little bit. I understand there was a language barrier problem over there, and that may have been part of the issue, but if it's too long, over 50 minutes for both halves of footy down there, people will get fed up with it pretty quickly.
What did you make of round one as a whole?
I was really impressed with the quality of the round in general. It was strong across the board, and the top teams looked strong. Wigan got rolled, but it was a very tough and physical game. St Helens, it's hard to judge, but they looked very physcial and fast. There were a couple of surprises in there, but the main thing I'm worried about is us, and I'm just happy with the way that we performed.
What are your thoughts on the Salford situation?
I don't know the ins and outs, so it's hard for me to comment. I don't think anyone knows apart from the people at Salford and the people at the RFL. It's not good for the game, let's face it, so hopefully they can get their best players on the field sooner rather than later. Hopefully they get a resolution pretty quick.
It's Wigan up next; how do you see that one?
I'm really excited. I know there's going to be a decent-sized crowd there waiting for us. It's a funny one; we don't train here, so it's going to be new for a lot of players in a Hull jersey. I'm excited for them and excited for the fans. I can't wait to feel the atmosphere on Friday. As long as we give them something to cheer for, I'm sure they are going to be really loud and boisterous. That's what you want from your home crowd. If there are 50/50 decisions out there to be made, that's when the crowd gets involved. I'm just looking forward to it. I've heard a lot about our home fans, and I've met a lot of them, but not all under one stadium. I'm really excited, and hopefully we can put on a show for them.
What are you expecting from Wigan?
They will be (a response), and I wouldn't expect anything less. They've got a strong leadership group, a strong coaching group, and they play for a great club. There's a lot of success around them. They play the same, from what I've seen, every week. They're very tough, they're competitive, and they don't give away anything. They never give in. They make winning a habit, and only good teams do that. They've got great history, great culture; they're going to be really tough to beat. That's the challenge, but the focus for us is to get our game right. We feel if we do that, then we'll compete with anyone.
