Hull FC coach explains why ‘very sudden’ Jed Cartwright exit was ‘needed’ as Denive Balmforth question asked

Hull FC interim coach Andy Last has explained how Jed Cartwright’s ‘very sudden’ exit caught him off guard though he has insisted that it was ‘needed’, despite the fact it forced a team reshuffle ahead of the club’s loss to York Knights.

Cartwright, the son of former head coach John, saw a loan deal to St Helens announced just hours before Hull FC took on York Knights despite the fact the club had undertaken their captain’s run on the proviso of Cartwright playing.

As such, that forced a reshuffle but Last has labelled that as simply an excuse and not a reason why his side lost 20-16 in a performance that he’s gone on to claim left him ‘disgusted’.

“There’s been some challenges, a late change to the team with Jed Cartwright going away to St Helens,” Last said when speaking in his post-match presser, shared via the club’s YouTube channel.

On the impact that made, Last admitted: “We didn’t get the opportunity to practice as a team because we’d got through team run and then we had to make some changes late last night and earlier today with Harvey (Barron) coming in on the wing, Tommy (Briscoe) going to centre, Ethan (O’Neill) going into that starting back-row spot to put Lennon (Clark) onto the bench.

“There was disruption there but that’s an excuse, we need to be better than we were today.”

Given that Last had planned for Cartwright to play, he admitted that the most was ¥very sudden’, adding: “It was done very very quickly.

“It caught me off guard a little but it’s something that needed to happen, so we wish Jed the best of luck.”

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Hull FC coach unclear on Denive Balmforth future

Cartwright leaves the club having missed more games through injury than he was able to play and with it already confirmed that the off-contract forward would not be offered a new deal, Last explained why the move was, as he said, ‘needed’.

“For himself,”Last said when asked about his choice of words.

“He’s not got a contract for next year so he’s got an opportunity for some game time and they’ve got an option to sign him for next year.

“With Ethan coming in, with Lenny Clark’s emergence, Zak Hardaker playing that second-row, Batch, it was the right thing for Jed and the right thing for us.”

Last was also speaking for the first time since the confirmation of the permanent signing of Ethan O’Neill, a move he addressed: “It’s a good move for us. He’s a good age, he’s got experience in Super League, he played well at Leigh and went to Leeds and that hasn’t quite worked out for him.

“He’s contributed to our group. He’s versatile and he gives us an option in that back-row spot.”

Perhaps the best Hull FC player on the pitch in their loss to York was actually York’s hooker Denive Balmforth, who is on loan from Hull FC, and when asked if the dummy half has a future at the MKM Stadium, Last simply responded: “That’s a question for obviously Richie Myler, it’s not one for me.”

Balmforth has featured for the Knights in both of their wins over his parent club, even scoring on Thursday night, but the hooker is contracted to Hull FC until the end of the 2028 season though it’s unclear where his future lies given the reports that Alrix Da Costa has been signed for 2027.