Hull FC boss John Cartwright has his fingers crossed for good news regarding the injury Jed Cartwright suffered on Friday. The Black and Whites got off the mark in style on Friday as they claimed a 24-4 win against Catalans Dragons against the odds in Perpignan.
The win appeared to come at a price, though, with Cartwright picking up a hamstring injury in the first half of the contest. As such the back-rower was withdrawn from the field and he didn’t return, with Hull having to switch things around in the pack.
The head coach, who was already without five players for the round one clash including Ed Chamberlain and Ollie Holmes, has high hopes that the issue isn’t too serious, though. Cartwright also revealed that Amir Bourouh and Jack Ashworth picked up head knocks at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.
“He felt a tweak in his hamstring,” Cartwright told BBC Radio Humberside after the contest. “He tried to get it going and he had to make a couple of tackles because we couldn’t get him off the field so hopefully that hasn’t made it any worse.
“He’s getting around alright, I’m really hoping it’s a low grade strain but we’ll get a scan when we get back and go from there.
“Amir had a HIA and he didn’t come back on the field, he’ll have to go through the protocols there. Jack Ashworth will have to go through them again but outside that we’re pretty good.”
With Hull FC embarking on a new era under new owners, a new head coach and a raft of players, the win was what the club needed as they move forward with optimism. And, it was the club’s new signings that stood out to Cartwright on the night, with Cade Cust, Aidan Sezer and John Asiata being namechecked.
“We were under the pump a lot so we were playing under heavy fatigue and I thought the outside backs did an enormous job to get us back into the game and out of our own end,” he added. “I thought Cade Cust was exactly what I thought he’d be when we we got him.
“He’s just a super competitor and his tries were not skill related but effort based. He’s like a terrier and chases everything.
“Aidan Sezer kicked well and got us around the field and John Asiata led with Aidan from the front and played big minutes. He was good defensively and when we had a bit of possession and had some fuel in the tank I thought we looked sharp with Johnny around the ball.”
