Hull FC forward Jed Cartwright candidly opens up on his injury struggle, mental challenges and 2026 point to prove

Hull FC forward Jed Cartwright has a point to prove in 2026 as he bids to leave the injury issues that have blighted his time in Super League behind him.

Cartwright has spent a season and a half with the Black and Whites so far after joining from Newcastle Knights in June 2024. Injury ensured he had to wait until August for his first run out in a Hull shirt, though, and that set the tone for what has been a difficult period for the back-rower.

Due to a string of setbacks, Cartwright has made just 16 appearances in all competitions for Hull, with his 2025 season being brought to an end prematurely after tearing a pectoral muscle.

The 29-year-old went under the knife to resolve the issue at the back end of last season and after using the autumn and winter months to take baby steps towards a return, he is now back in full contact training once more.

And, he made his return to action on Sunday afternoon as John Cartwright took his side to Wigan Warriors to provide the opposition for Liam Marshall’s testimonial.

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However, ahead of the new season, Cartwright candidly opened up on how challenging his spell in Super League has been so far.

“It has been really difficult,” Cartwright told Serious About Rugby League. “Moving over here and wanting to go really well, you come in, play well and then you get struck down with another injury, it does get really frustrating.

“It does get you down quite a lot and I think some people who aren’t in the football circle, don’t realise how much injury can affect a player. It is really mentally challenging and something that players don’t want to go through.

“It has been tough but I’ve had some good people around me who have helped me get through those things and I’m really excited to be moving into a year feeling really fresh and injury free.

“It was a 12-week surgery and we had the luxury of time. So I don’t think I did contact for a month after I was allowed to, we could give it a little longer and that’s probably been beneficial in the long run. We’ve attacked it cautiously but it’s 100 per cent now and I’m confident now that it will hold up.”

On the benefit of having his dad around, he added: “It definitely does help. My dad has been in the football circle for so many years and he understands how much injury can affect a player, he had a fair few himself.

“He can sympathise with how hard it is but a lot of people don’t and can’t sympathise with that. They just think you almost don’t want to play, but that’s not the case.

“It’s one of the hardest things a rugby league player can go through, to suffer injuries frequently isn’t what you want, but having Dad here, my partner, my partner’s family and my family back home for support has been a big help.”

Jed Cartwright’s Hull FC confidence

Hull FC fans have seen what Cartwright is capable of when he is fit and firing on all cylinders, though, with the back-rower scoring six tries for the club so far. That includes braces against Wigan Warriors and Salford Red Devils last summer and an effort against Leigh Leopards in March.

Indeed, he has shown glimpses, but he’s determined to build that consistency and show the FC faithful what he can really do with a head of steam.

“I’m that type of person that is probably never going to be happy, I’m always looking to improve and be better,” he added. “I’m confident that if I can string some games together, I can be happy with how I played and I can keep building my game every single week. I’m really excited.”

Following what many believe to be a strong off-season recruitment push, Cartwright looks set to be part of one of the biggest packs Super League has to offer, too.

“It’s exciting,” Cartwright said. “We have some really exciting players coming into the squad. We have a squad that did quite well last year and we’ve added depth and some big guys. I’m really excited for what this year has in store for this team.

“We’ve had a really hard work ethic and training has been intense and competitive, so I’m excited to see what this group can do.”