Hull FC boss John Cartwright won’t be joining his countrymen Willie Peters and Brad Arthur in the running for the vacant England job.
Peters and Arthur expressed their interest in the role over the weekend with both men saying they would be keen on having a conversation at the very least about taking England into the World Cup.
They wouldn’t be the first Australians to take the role, given Wayne Bennett held the position for four years and led the nation through the 2017 World Cup, and, Peters and Arthur both have plenty of support for the position among the rugby league community.
However, in no uncertain terms, Cartwright, a proud Australian, has no interest coaching any country other than his own.
“I’d really struggle coaching anyone other than Australia,” Cartwright told Serious About Rugby League. “Everyone is different but I just don’t know that I’d be able to give it my absolute everything unless I was coaching my own country.
“Everyone has a different view on it. I’m a New South Welshman, if you asked me if I’d coach Queensland it would be definitely not. It’s the same with Australia, if the opportunity came to coach another country, I just don’t think I could do the job justice.
“It’s a massive job and that’s the importance I place on it. I place playing for my country as the highest highest honour. I couldn’t envisage playing for another country and probably the same as a coach. To coach at that level you have to be all in and there would always be something holding me back I think.”
Asked about how he felt Peters or Arthur might go in such a role, the Hull FC boss added: “They’ve proven themselves at the very best level, I don’t think they could go wrong. It’s just an individual thing for me. I’d really struggle.
“Coaching a team and not being able to sing my national anthem, it’s just the way I’m wired.”
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