Hull FC head coach John Cartwright has piled pressure on CEO Richie Myler regarding the club’s lack of in-season recruitment despite an injury crisis.
Cartwright addressed the media on Monday, speaking publicly for the first time since Hull FC confirmed he would be leaving at the end of the season.
In an explosive presser, the Australian claimed that he felt ‘betrayed’ and disrespected’ by the club’s handling of the matter, whilst also bringing into question how reports of Steve McNamara being his replacement came about.
After addressing much of the stuff relating to his looming exit, Cartwright was also asked about recruitment with the Black and Whites having received salary compensation for the injured Will Pryce whilst also having a quota space available after Liam Knight’s exit.
To that, Cartwright claimed that as many as eight players had been put forward as options to sign but ‘not acted upon’ with the head coach directing questions the way of CEO Richie Myler.
“We’ve been trying,” he told BBC Radio Humberside, adding: “We’ve gone through coaches and recruitment and we’ve tried to assess everybody available in England and in Q Cup.
“We probably had eight players that we thought we could do a job. For whatever reason, it just hasn’t been acted upon.
“We knew we’d need one when we knew Liam was going. He was a big body who was leaving. We knew Herman (Ese’ese) would be at least another month away now.
“We’re a long time through the season without having any backup in that important area. Again, it’s probably a question for the CEO.”
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Hull FC coach talks loan options
If his talk about feeling ‘betrayed’ and disrespected’ hadn’t pricked the ears of Richie Myler then Cartwright’s comments about recruitment, or the lack thereof, certainly would have.
With Cartwright set to leave at the end of the season, or possibly even before given how explosive his presser was, he was asked if he’d still be involved in recruitment plans.
To that, the Australian said: “Recruitment never stops. We’ve said that before. We’re constantly looking at players in the NRL, in the Super League.
“Loans are always an option. It’s probably something we are going to have to look at just to be able to get two teams to be able to train against each other.”
One player who has now joined Hull FC on loan is Leeds Rhinos’ Harry Newman with the England centre now expected to be named in the Black and Whites’ 21-man-squad to face St Helens on Thursday.
