“Did everything I expect” – Hull FC boss backs Cade Cust as he rules on derby day red card

Hull FC head coach John Cartwright would have been “into” Cade Cust had he not chased down the kick and challenged for the ball against Hull KR, despite that challenge resulting in the Australian being sent off.

Fifteen minutes into the Hull FC and Hull KR derby day game on Good Friday, Cust chased down a kick and levelled full-back Arthur Mourgue with his shoulder meeting the Frenchman’s head.

It was an incident that looked worse the more you watched it with the slow-motion replays showing Cust turning his shoulder towards Mourgue, bracing for contact, but making the optics look very bad.

Liam Moore flashed the red card but the disciplinary panel’s Grade C charge of five points (minus the two on account of a first-half send-off) meant Cust escaped a ban, making him available for Sunday’s game against Wigan Warriors, and now Hull FC head coach John Cartwright spoke for the first time after that decision.

“All you can do is look to the future,” Cartwright said when asked on the decision, adding: “It’s disappointing that he was red carded and there was no suspension I suppose but the beauty for us is he’s available this week.

“I think they probably saw it similar to what we did, that it was a challenge for the ball and there was a collision at the end of it.”

Hull FC head coach defends Cade Cust over Hull KR red card

Hull FC were just 6-0 down at the time of the send-off but that incident certainly changed the game as the Robins went on to win 28-14, landing a second derby win in the space of two weeks.

Continuing his assessment of the red, Cartwright explained: “There was no way in the world he could disappear. He braced for contact. It didn’t look good, I admit that, but I suppose you’ve got to play the game and be in that situation to understand that there was nowhere for him to go.

“Like I said, the ball was in the air and there was a split second to make a decision and try and make it safe. I believe he just braced for contact. I’d say that the judiciary saw it the same way.”

He also outlined how the slow-motion replays didn’t aid Cust but maintained that it was a genuine contest for the ball, not a malicious act.

Cartwright conceded: “The slow-mo can make it look worse, there’s no doubt about that. It didn’t look good, I’m the first to admit that, but like I said, I think anyone that has played the game and has been in that situation would understand that there was nowhere for him to go, there was always going to be a collision because they were both going hard at the ball.

“I’d like to think you look at intent in those situations when you get the opportunity to (show a) either yellow or red card. Swinging arms and knees and elbows and off the ball, I’ve got no time for it at all.

“If he didn’t chase that kick, I’m into him about not chasing the kick. The ball was there, it was a challenge. The ball bounced up in the air and there was a challenge for the ball. He did everything I would expect of him. It was brave from both players, that’s what our game is about.”

Mourgue did pass his HIA and went in to put in a Man of the Match performance, whilst Cust sat on the sidelines for the final 65 minutes but is available on Sunday after evading a ban.

Tempers boil over in the Hull derby 😡

Cade Cust is sent off for this high tackle on Arthur Mourgue 🫣 pic.twitter.com/szkeCTcN2k

— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) April 18, 2025