Having spent only a matter of days in the city, new Hull FC Head Coach John Cartwright already has a sense of the “community” in the air.
The former Gold Coast Titans Head Coach has been working as an assistant coach in the NRL over the last decade, highly rated by many of his peers.
Cartwright arrived in the country last week, but it hasn’t taken him long to discover the community vibe within Hull.
“I’ve been really impressed. Really friendly people and they’ve all been really welcoming,” he said.
“There’s a lot of Rugby League people out there. I’ve stopped to chat in the street to a few fans already. Like I say, really friendly people but also really passionate.
“I’m born and bred in Penrith. There, it’s not about just playing for your club, it’s also about playing for your community.
“You’d talk to some people whose businesses would double the day after the team had won a game because everyone’s feeling so good.
“I get the same feeling from here at Hull FC. Apart from our rivals over the river, we’re pretty distant from all of the other clubs in Super League and there’s a real community feel in the city.”
Pre-season training gets underway next week and Cartwright will finally have the opportunity to sink his teeth into working with the squad since his appointment was announced in the summer.
This, of course, is not his first experience of Rugby League in England. He played on British soil when representing Salford in 1997, almost 30 years ago now.
Having enjoyed a sample of Super League, Cartwright explains how he returns wanting more.
“The challenge itself is huge for me. I haven’t been a head coach for a while now, despite tinkering with the idea of it a couple of times,” he said.
“I did think that the Super League would be where my opportunity would come. I played over here many years ago with Salford, and I always said to myself that I would come back at some point – I loved the footy and the atmosphere in the crowd that much.
“So to have the opportunity to come over and coach a famous club such as Hull FC, it’s something I’m looking forward to, but I also feel the pressure of it.
“It really is a famous club and I certainly will be doing everything to make sure we give our supporters something to cheer about.”
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