Rugby League Apr 20, 2026

John Cartwright under consideration for vacant Huddersfield Giants head coach role

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
John Cartwright under consideration for vacant Huddersfield Giants head coach role

John Cartwright is among a list of candidates under consideration by the Huddersfield Giants as they seek a long-term successor to Luke Robinson.

Robinson was relieved of his duties at the Accu Stadium at the end of March following a run of five successive Super League defeats.

Liam Finn has since taken interim charge of the Giants and has put his name forward for the role on a permanent basis.

Huddersfield director of rugby Andy Kelly revealed that the shortlist also features Cartwright, who stepped down from his role as Hull FC head coach after the club announced he would be moving on at the end of the season.

Speaking on The Bench podcast with Jenna and Jon, Kelly said: "[A list of coaches] is definitely being looked at - probably obsessively looked at.

"It's been a long list, and it's shortening down. There are people we are very interested in.

"I have an influence on what's going on. I'm doing a lot of the background work, a lot of the research, looking at where I think a coach will fit with what we're trying to bring about, and then putting that in front of the board of directors."

On Cartwright, Kelly added: "He's probably not even considered what his next job is. He's been associated with all the jobs at the moment. I would imagine John Cartwright, at this minute, needs to finish his cup of coffee and sit back and breathe.

"He's a profile coach, a coach we will do some due diligence and background work on. We're not in a position where we can just dismiss someone who might be available, just as we can't dismiss someone who is effectively available.

"It's about covering the whole sphere and not rushing into the decision."

Huddersfield sit third from bottom in Super League after two wins from their eight games this season, including a chastening 56-22 home defeat by Leeds Rhinos on Friday.

Kelly shed light on the recruitment process and the importance of making the right appointment with the club at such an important juncture.

"I'm looking for a coach who has a vision for where he wants to take the team in the next two to four years, and who understands where we are now and the importance of the club in the community and to the game itself," he added.

"We were at the very beginnings of rugby league in Huddersfield, but we can't live off that forever. We have to understand the club before we start to understand where the club wants to go.

"A coach has got to have technical and tactical know‑how, but they also have to have the ability to manage a team.

"This is a defining moment in the club's history - one where we can change what we're capable of doing going forward. The coach appointment is a massive responsibility for us all."

"We asked for expressions of interest rather than applications. Expressions of interest are a two-way thing - they've allowed us to look at and approach coaches who may not have seen us as a viable option and ask them if we'd be of interest to them."

Kelly explained how aligning the club's player recruitment strategy with potential coaching appointments has lengthened the process of appointing a permanent head coach.

"That has stalled our process a little bit because we want to make sure that whoever the coach is, they are comfortable with the players we are looking to recruit," he said.

"The coach will have a say in recruitment. The announcement will come at the point when we know who that person is.

"We could approach somebody who actually turns us down, so it would be wrong of me to put names in place."

Your Site 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

Tags:

rugby-league news

Share this article

Related Posts

Huddersfield Giants sack head coach Luke Robinson after five consecutive losses in opening weeks of Super League

Huddersfield Giants sack head coach Luke Robinson after five consecutive losses in opening weeks of Super League

Huddersfield Giants have sacked head coach Luke Robinson in the wake of Friday night's Betfred Super League defeat at Bradford which took them to five...

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck signs two-year deal with Wakefield Trinity from next season in shock move away from NRL

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck signs two-year deal with Wakefield Trinity from next season in shock move away from NRL

New Zealand Warriors star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has signed a shock two-year deal with Wakefield Trinity in an unexpected move away from the NRL.The 32-y...

Paul Rowley: St Helens head coach interested in taking charge of England for Rugby League World Cup

Paul Rowley: St Helens head coach interested in taking charge of England for Rugby League World Cup

St Helens head coach Paul Rowley has expressed his interest in the vacant England head coach job, saying he has a "burning desire" to coach his countr...

Willie Peters to end historic Hull KR tenure at end of Super League season to become inaugural PNG Chiefs coach

Willie Peters to end historic Hull KR tenure at end of Super League season to become inaugural PNG Chiefs coach

Willie Peters will end his historic tenure as Hull KR head coach at the end of the Super League season.The 47-year-old will leave Craven Park having m...

Willie Peters challenges Hull KR to channel emotions and end his tenure on a high before NRL return

Willie Peters challenges Hull KR to channel emotions and end his tenure on a high before NRL return

Willie Peters has challenged his Hull KR players to channel the emotion of his confirmed end‑of‑season departure into writing a final chapter fitting...

England rugby league: Kevin Sinfield on interview panel to advise on new head coach from 'world-class' applicants

England rugby league: Kevin Sinfield on interview panel to advise on new head coach from 'world-class' applicants

Kevin Sinfield is among the interview panel to advise on the next England head coach to replace Shaun Wane, who stepped down in January.Wane stepped a...