John Cartwright’s long-term Hull FC goal set as inspiration taken from familiar face
John Cartwright is taking inspiration from his hometown club Penrith Panthers as he looks to build Hull FC back into a Super League force once again. The new Black and Whites boss is Penrith born and bred and was part of their first Premiership success as a player back in 1991.
And watching on as the ‘Riff clinched their fourth successful Premiership in 2024, Cartwright knows exactly what the secret ingredients are. The Panthers have built from within, taking advantage of the biggest junior rugby league system in the world to ensure the nucleus of their side is homegrown.
But it goes deeper than just fielding local players. There is a true sense of connection at the foot of the mountains, with Penrith players proud to live and represent their community. For Cartwright, the goal is to get the same feeling at Hull FC, with the 59-year-old ready to front the club for the next three years.
For the Aussie, the similarities between the two places are there to see. For one, they are both working-class cities, and they are both rugby league mad. Hull, too, have the goal to promote from within. They know the long-term benefits, and while nothing is guaranteed, they are trying to make it all a reality.
A lot of clubs are trying to do it, but it takes time,” Cartwright told Hull Live. “What Penrith has done now started back when Nathan Cleary and Jerome Luai were 14 and 15 years of age, and Isaah Yeo was probably 16 or 17. They’ve all come through a system where they are mates and they know each other’s football back to front.
“They also absolutely love the area where they live. They’re very proud, and I’m fortunate to know a lot of those boys pretty well. When I played there, it was nearly impossible to get players to come out to Penrith and play; it was considered an outpost, but now they don’t want to leave, and players want to come and play there.
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