John Cartwright says he has been left “betrayed and disrespected” after his Hull FC exit was confirmed before the club had given him an explanation.
Hull FC announced on April 7 that head coach Cartwright would be leaving the club at the end of the Betfred Super League season.
The news came as a surprise to the 60‑year‑old Australian who, almost a week on, still has no explanation for the decision to end his tenure.
‘Betrayed and disrespected’
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Cartwright said: “The club have come to a decision that they would part ways at the end of my current contract and that a six-month termination clause would be exercised.
“That’s pretty much how it happened. I still haven’t been given a reason, to be honest with you. I don’t know. I have asked and I expect to sit down with someone in the not-too-distant future.
“When people know the facts, they can make their own mind up. For me, I probably feel a little bit betrayed and disrespected.”
Cartwright took over at the MKM Stadium at the start of the 2025 campaign and helped the club to a seventh-placed finish, their highest finish since 2020.
Hull FC, who have already started the process of hiring a new coach from the 2027 season, currently sit ninth in Super League after three wins and four defeat from their first seven matches.
“I’ll still do my job. I won’t do anything that will put that at risk,” Cartwright added. “You ask me questions and I’ll tell you the answer. That’s where that sits.
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Highlights from the Betfred Super League Rivals Round clash between Hull KR and Hull FC.
“My loyalty and my bond with the players are something that can never be taken away.
“It took me totally by surprise. If you lose six in a row, you might feel they’d be a tap on the shoulder, but there was none of that.”
2026 Super League – key dates and what to look out for
- Super League in Paris: Sat Jun 6: Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6.30pm UK (Sky Sports)
- Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5
- Rivals Round reversed: July 23-July 26
- Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
- Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford.
Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining five matches each week shown on Sky Sports+
