RICHIE Myler has finally broken cover.
Nearly a week after Hull FC announced they were moving on from head John Cartwright at the end of the season in favour of Steve McNamara, and the Australian’s subsequent explosive press conference, the Black and Whites chief executive emerged on Wednesday evening to lay out his side of the story.
Speaking to Matt Shaw and Megan Wellens on the Sin Bin Sessions podcast, Myler insisted that the decision to move on from Cartwright – who was stood down for the rest of the 2026 campaign following last week’s 24-14 defeat to St Helens – was motivated by a belief someone else was needed to take the club to the next level.
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“John’s a great bloke and John is an honest, hard working bloke and that’s representative in his rugby team – and ultimately that’s the performance that you’re seeing week in, week out,” Myler said.
“But the reality is we are in an industry where you are striving to win and be successful.
“This isn’t a performance decision, by the way. It’s not just a solely ‘we’re not winning games.’
“This is a progressive move that we feel that there’s an individual that can take our club forward quicker than probably John can.”
That person was McNamara, who Myler knows from his playing days both when the former Hull FC forward was England head coach and at the helm of Catalans Dragons – although he insisted no deal had been completed for the current Warrington first-team coach before Cartwright was told he would not be at the club next season.
McNamara’s record in the south of France, taking the Dragons from near-on relegation fodder to Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield winners plus two grand final appearances between 2017 and 2025, speaks for itself.
Then again, so does Cartwright’s after the former Gold Coast Titans boss oversaw an on-field revival last year to steer Hull FC to within three points of a Super League play-off place after a 2024 campaign which saw only relegated London Broncos finished below them.
What added further surprise to the change at the top is Myler had previously stated the club were committed to Cartwright for three years, something the 35-year-old admitted he expects to “come into a bit of flak” for not living up to.
Perhaps most surprising, however, is how surprised Myler appeared that the former Australia international did not take the news particularly well – as evidenced by that now infamous press conference where Cartwright expressed feelings of betrayal.
“The reality is I still wanted him to be the head coach for the next for the end of the season, for the next six months,” Myler said.
“It was just that we thanked him for everything he’s done for us, but we want to go in a different direction because we feel that’s the best interest for us – we’re allowed to do that.
“And the way that that was delivered, I thought was the right way and I thought I delivered it the right way.
“Whether it was, that’s obviously didn’t play out that way…but that was the intention from us as a club.”
Former Hull FC head coach Andy Last steps back into the top job for the rest of this season, starting with Friday’s trip to his other former club Castleford Tigers, while McNamara sees out his time as assistant to Sam Burgess at Warrington.
There is always expectation when a former playing great returns to a team as head coach and Myler has done little to dampen that ahead of McNamara’s return to his hometown club, who he starred in the back row for from 1989 to 1996.
“For me, it’s a case of this is a huge club and I think for to be head coach of Hull FC or head coach of any big club, you have to be across every single element of the business,” Myler said.
“And I know from working with Steve in the past, he is…and he controls that whole environment from tea lady all the way to CEO – it’s his show and it’s his organisation to run.
“What I’m saying is that it’s OK for us to want a bit more, and we’ve identified someone that I feel for the next four years at least, he’s going to take us to another level.”
Of course, if McNamara can have the same impact he did at Catalans and maybe even deliver a first league title to West Hull since 1983 at some point in the next four years then Myler and the club will have been proven right.
No pressure then, Steve.
