Hull FC contract update as John Cartwright makes case for key man to stick around

Hull FC boss John Cartwright is keen to see Yusuf Aydin stick around at the MKM Stadium beyond the end of the Super League season.

Aydin has been an ever present for the Black and Whites so far this year, filling in at loose-forward for the absent John Asiata.

With Asiata fit again, though, Aydin can be expected to feature in his more natural front row spot this weekend when Cartwright takes his Hull side to Leigh in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup.

However, the Turkey international finds himself playing for a new deal at present. The forward, who joined FC from Hull KR in April 2024, is in the final year of his contract with the club and he isn’t the only one, with Tom Briscoe, Brad Fash, Ligi Sao, Zak Hardaker, Hugo Salabio and Jed Cartwright all in the same boat.

Some of those players can be expected to leave the club at the end of the season, but Aydin is one the Black and Whites’ boss is keen to tie down, it seems.

“That’s something Richie and Andrew will look at,” Cartwright said in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday when asked about Aydin’s contract. “Yusuf has done everything asked of him.

“He’s been an important member of the team ever since I’ve been here. He’s a great lad – he’s a good team man, a good club man, and I’d hope there would be some sort of deal to be done there.”

The west Hull outfit head to Leigh on Saturday afternoon and they will do so without a number of key men in their travelling squad. Of course, Will Pryce will miss the remainder of the season, but Joe Batchelor, Harvey Barron and Jed Cartwright have all been ruled out in recent weeks.

Herman Ese’ese remains on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles in August, but there is some hope that he could be fit enough to make his return by the end of next month.

RFL error, coaches under pressure and Super League’s injury crisis – click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show