Hull FC's sliding doors moment as Adam Pearson looks to future with John Cartwright and Richie Myler

Brett Hodgson and Tony Smith have come and gone after failing to get a tune out of squads built on sand.

Experienced NRL coach John Cartwright will take the reins at the end of the season, which has long since been over for Hull in a competitive sense.

In what may have been a sliding doors moment for the club, Cartwright was in the running to replace Radford four years ago, only for owner Adam Pearson to go in a different direction.

"I went back through the shortlist of coaches when we appointed Brett and John was at the top of the list," Pearson told The Yorkshire Post.

"For some reason, we didn't pursue it. The whole recruitment process in Covid was very difficult when you're doing interviews by Teams.

"He seems a really stand-up guy. He's got that presence, aura and discipline that we're crying out for.

"I think he'll have a major impact on the squad. His fingerprints are already all over it."

Hull cannot change the past but they can learn from it.

Cartwright is having a major say on recruitment for next year as he juggles his future role with his assistant gig at Brisbane Broncos.

With the help of a database that has been introduced to go over every target with a fine-tooth comb, Cartwright has teamed up with director of rugby Richie Myler to secure half a dozen new recruits.

In addition, Pearson says there are "a couple of very exciting potential signings on the horizon" using Cartwright's contacts in the NRL.

After years of missteps in the recruitment market, Myler has refined the process since his arrival in April.

"He's hit the ground running and got on with recruiting a team," said Pearson.

"He's built up a really effective working relationship with John. They speak most days so John has had a significant impact on recruitment.

"The recruitment at this club in the last two to three years, it stands out to everybody in the game that something needed to improve.

"To have gone through the expense of landing Franklin Pele and Jayden Okunbor, for them not to feature in the first team has been a significant blow.

"Our team has been strengthened with the return of Jake Trueman and Carlos Tuimavave but to have two of our big overseas signings not in the first team has caused a problem.

"On the back of Tex (Hoy) leaving and Nu Brown returning home for compassionate reasons, we've had to look at recruitment very, very seriously."

Hull have been criticised for their approach to the 2024 campaign at a time when a new grading system is being rolled out.

But despite the absence of relegation, the Black and Whites have made a raft of mid-season signings in an effort to improve results.

However, injuries continue to plague the club with recent arrival Jed Cartwright – son of the incoming head coach – the latest player to succumb.

"We're trying to juggle two objectives," said Pearson.

"One is to finish this season as strongly as possible so we're still trying to be competitive with the team and bring players in.

"But as we bring them in, they seem to get injured. We're battling against that and trying to keep strengthening the team.

"And we're obviously building towards next season and signing players that we think are going to have the required Super League and NRL experience to bring through the young players and get the mix right, which we clearly haven't done this year.

"That's been compounded by horrendous luck with injuries. I've never known anything like it in my time here.

"No matter what anyone says about recruitment, if you're not fielding your best players, you're not going to win games in Super League."

Hull's search for only a third win of the year continues this weekend when they travel to Salford Red Devils.

Simon Grix's squad for the trip includes a host of academy products, a silver lining in an otherwise forgettable season.

"The bonus has been the young players," said Pearson.

"The likes of Logan Moy, Lewis Martin, Harvey Barron and Denive Balmforth have come in and done really, really well. They're a year or two ahead of where we thought they'd be.

"Behind that, we've got some really talented youngsters coming through in Jack Charles, Ryan Westerman and Will Hutchinson who are all playing for England Academy.

"Richie is bringing a squad together for next year which we're sure will be competitive and give those young players the right environment."