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John Cartwright provides fresh Hull FC health report ahead of Castleford test

John Cartwright in Hull FC pre-season training.
-Credit:Hull FC


John Cartwright is expecting to select from virtually his 'whole squad' for Hull FC's pre-season game at Castleford Tigers next month. The Black and Whites head to Wheldon Road for Joe Westerman's testimonial match on February 1, with the new head coach providing an update on the health of his players.

In fact, Cartwright hopes to be on the verge of a fully fit side, with only Davy Litten and Roman Dawson long-term concerns. The young outside back is in rehab after surgery on his ACL and isn't expected to be back until April, while Dawson ruptured his ACL for a second time inside a year earlier this month.

Elsewhere, the likes of Brad Fash and Jack Charles are thought to be in the selection conversation after ankle and hamstring injuries, while Nick Staveley is running again after a long-term ACL rehab. There are also players like Jordan Rapana and Oliver Holmes who have been smartly managed this pre-season, with some unspecified stars also picking up some soft tissue knocks prior to Christmas after what was a strenuous programme.

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However, Hull are now anticipating a good bill of health with competitive action starting a week after the Castleford game with Challenge Cup action and then onto the weekly grind of Super League the following week.

"We’re probably only got a couple that aren’t training full time with us at the moment," Cartwright said when asked about the health of his squad. "There are a few where we're being a bit more cautious than we were earlier on in the pre-season, but come the Castleford game, I pretty much expect most of the squad, outside of Davy Litten, who is a long-term injury, to be available.

"That's what we've aimed at from the start. You can't count on when you will get injuries; it's a toss of a coin, but the ones that we can avoid, we've avoided since Christmas. We've slowly been getting back to a full bill of health. It's good that it is coming to fruition, but when we get to the Castleford game, that's when it counts, and then from there, that's when the season is going to start."

In pre-season training since November 4, Hull, including their Christmas break, have been at it for over 10 weeks now, with Cartwright raising standards and pushing his players ahead of what needs to be a much-improved year.

"We’re mainly concerned with health at the moment," he continued. "There are new combinations all over the park. You can work as hard as you want at training, but until you get that full level of contact and intensity, you don’t really know where you sit. We’ve had a lot of different options at training because of some injuries and players coming in late, but we’re confident in what we have.

"The main thing I’m concerned about now is getting to the starting line with a full and healthy squad. That is going to give us the best chance."

Summing up pre-season so far, Cartwright added: "It’s been nigh on three months now since I’ve been here. It’s gone pretty quick, to be honest, which is normally a sign that you’re enjoying yourself and having fun. There's been some fun through the pre-season, but it's also been pretty tough and taken a toll on the players, especially leading up to Christmas.

"It was a good time to have a break; they’re freshened up now, and we’ve nearly got everyone back in training, so we’re really excited. We're looking forward to the friendly against Cas. We can finally get a bit of an idea of where we’re at."

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