'Tremendous' Hull FC youngster who has suffered pre-season setback after training too hard
John Cartwright has heaped praise on Hull FC youngster Jack Charles, while admitting he has suffered an early pre-season injury. The young halfback, one of the highlights of a challenging 2024 season, has made quite the impression on the club's new head coach in the opening weeks of his tenure at the club.
Charles, 18, is an academy product who made his breakthrough this year, making 17 appearances for the Black and Whites in a difficult campaign for the club.
That experience is set to stand him in good stead this year, and he has hit the ground running at the start of training, albeit perhaps too hard. Cartwright revealed that Charles has suffered a hamstring train after overdoing it on a day off, which will see him miss a few weeks of action.
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However, the Australian spoke highly of the teenager, praising his work ethic. "I've never seen a guy here on in Australia who works so hard on his game," Cartwright says.
"Unfortunately he got a little strain in his hammy the other day by pretty much overdoing it and working too hard on his day off. But he'll learn from it and be better from it. As he said to me the next day, he'll just use these next couple of weeks to be better in another area I have to use. He's a tremendous young kid."
Cartwright has a number of young players to work with in the off-season. Lewis Martin was the standout last season but was supported by the likes of Charles, Logan Moy and Harvey Barron among others who made their breakthroughs last year.
Cartwright joked: "I call them the boyband, Charlsey and Moy, they look like they should be playing in a band somewhere over in Manchester. Logan is an excitement machine, I think when you see him you'll be surprised how much he's filled out, he's worked very hard in the off-season - I think he has a brand new set of teeth too; every time I get up close to him I can see a reflection of myself."
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