Hull FC confirm Steve McNamara as John Cartwright steps down

Hull FC have confirmed the appointment of Steve McNamara as their head coach from 2027 – while John Cartwright has stepped aside with immediate effect.

McNamara, who was born and bred in Hull and featured over 150 times for FC during his playing career, has been secured after the Black and Whites paid a ‘substantial fee’ to buy him out of his contract with Warrington Wolves.

Though former England and Catalans Dragons boss McNamara won’t arrive at the MKM Stadium until 2027, Hull have confirmed that Cartwright has coached his final game for the club, doing so in Thursday night’s 24-14 home defeat to St Helens.

The Australian – who has been in charge since the start of the 2025 campaign – remains employed by the club but will now be taking up his day-to-day duties moving forward.

Assistant coach Andy Last has been placed in temporary charge for the remainder of the season. He previously took on a similar role in 2020, guiding the club to the play-offs.

Hull FC confirm Steve McNamara as John Cartwright steps down

McNamara’s appointment – and the news of Cartwright stepping aside from the head coach role – was announced on Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours after FC’s loss to Saints.

A joint statement reads: “Hull FC and Warrington Wolves can jointly confirm that an agreement has been reached which will see Steve McNamara become Hull FC’s new head coach for the 2027 Super League season.

“As part of the agreement, Hull FC has paid a substantial transfer fee to secure McNamara’s services.

“McNamara remains fully committed to his current role as assistant coach at Warrington Wolves for the remainder of the 2026 campaign before taking up his new position at the MKM Stadium.

“Both clubs will continue to work closely to ensure a smooth transition at the conclusion of the current season.”

The handling of Cartwright’s impending exit from the Black and Whites has been widely criticised, with sections of the Hull supporters showing their discontent during Thursday night’s game against Saints.

Club captain Aidan Sezer has publicly shared his disappointment, and the full FC squad waited for Cartwright to conduct his post-match media duties on Thursday night so he could lead them back down the tunnel in unity.

On McNamara’s appointment, Airlie Birds Chairman Andrew Thirkill, said: “We believe Steve is the right person to lead Hull FC into our next phase and are thrilled with his appointment.

“His experience, leadership and standards will be critical as we build a team capable of competing consistently at the top of Super League.”

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