Following the news that Hull FC full-back Will Pryce has suffered an injury which could rule him out for up to ten weeks, head coach John Cartwright has discussed the club’s plans to replace him.

In doing so, Cartwright has noted just how hard it will be to replace Pryce with the Australian comparing the Hull FC playmaker to Wigan Warriors’ Jai Field and Bevan French.

Speaking at his weekly presser, Cartwright had confirmed that Pryce suffered a hamstring injury late in the Round 13 win over Catalans Dragons with scans pointing to a lengthy lay-off.

Asked by BBC Radio Humberside if that and the club’s other plethora of injuries created ‘headaches’, Cartwright spoke on the impact of losing Pryce as he named him among Super League’s very elite.

“Like him (Pryce) in particular, there are not many players like him in the game,” Cartwright argued, adding: “You’ve got (Jai) Field and (Bevan) French at Wigan but there aren’t many, and I think he’s one of those guys that can turn a game and make tries out of nothing.

“That really really helps your side and he’s just started to find his feet and feel comfortable in his surroundings, I suppose, so it was a big blow for us.”

How Hull FC will replace Will Pryce after injury blow

Pryce was a mid-season signing from the NRL so Hull FC understandably have plans in place for how they’ll play without him and one option is with Jordan Rapana at full-back, another of the club’s NRL recruits.

Despite signing as a full-back and being handed the number one, Rapana has played all across the back-line, in the halves, and even done stints at second-row.

Confirming plans on how to replace Pryce, Cartwright explained: “We’re fortunate that we’ve got a Cade Cust to come back and a Jordan Rapana who has done some great things for us at full-back so far this year.

“You want Will in your team, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve got to make the best of what we have and we’re fortunate at the moment that we have got a couple of good bodies to put in those spots.”

Hull FC head into Friday’s home match against Castleford knowing that a win would send them fourth, a stark contrast to where they found themselves in 2024. Asked if the club’s goals had changed based on their impressive start, Cartwright urged calm.

He responded: “We get asked that question a bit and I’m sure the players are but for me, it’s about getting to this game the best prepared we can. It’s cliche and no one wants to hear it but it’s fact.

“I’m not overly concerned with looking at the table at this time of the year. There’s so much to unfold and so much that can happen.”