Hull FC head coach John Cartwright has fielded questions about an NRL return and his future at the Super League club, with the Australian emphasising that any NRL return would be for a head coach gig.
That said, he wasn’t hammering the drum for an NRL return either with Cartwright offering a realistic insight into his future when appearing on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast, whilst also praising the work that is being done at Hull FC.
Contracted until the end of the 2027 season, Cartwright has already made a big splash at the MKM Stadium with Hull FC jumping from 11th in 2024 to seventh in 2025, with injuries hampering their play-off push.
Having previously coached in the NRL, Cartwright was asked if he held ambitions to return to such a role, responding: “Not particularly, I don’t want to go back and be an assistant coach, put it that way.
“When I was young, that was something I aspired to do and I was fortunate enough to do it but I’m just really enjoying by time here at the moment.”
Hull FC boss “enjoying the moment” as off-field work praised
Contracted for another two seasons, Cartwright explained bluntly how the sport coaching business goes, explaining that his future is dependent on how the Black and Whites get on.
He said: “I’ve got another year on my contract after this one, so depending on how we go.
“I’m not naive to think that I’m gonna be here for ten years. It’s a results-driven business.”
On if he’d ever consider staying as long as then years, the 60-year-old added: “Ten years, no, I’d be getting very cranky then. I’m just enjoying the moment and enjoying seeing where the club is going.
“We’ve got a really good model there with the ownership that has come in and every department within the club has been boosted. There’s things you don’t see from the outside but they all help at the end of the day.
“The want for winning and the will to win hasn’t gone anywhere.”
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