Hull FC go in as favourites against Toulouse – but that brings it’s own challenge.
Hull FC celebrate Connor Bailey’s try. (Image: SW PIX)
Andy Last has laid out the importance of Hull FC’s mentality test ahead of Sunday’s game against Toulouse Olympique.
The Black and Whites are preparing for the second match of a four-game block that they believe can turn their season for the better, with attitude the biggest test going into a fixture they are, at least according to the bookies and tipsters, expected to win.
However, that reality has caused Hull plenty of issues in the last, with the side losing plenty of fixtures when tipped for victory. It’s a fact Last has hammered home in training this week, with another professional and attitude-based performance the minimum standard against the French side.
Speaking to Hull Live, Last said: “You look at the fixture list, the Castleford game and the Toulouse game and then Bradford and then Leigh – it’s a bank of fixtures, which we need to be looking to try and get at least three out of those four in terms of victories. We managed to get a good performance and a good win against Castleford. We need a strong performance against Toulouse now.
“If we take care of performance, I’d like to think I’d be sat here on Sunday after a good result, but we aren’t showing Toulouse any disrespect. We fully respect that they’re a dangerous team, and if we allow them to put their game on, they will challenge us and post points.
“We need to make sure that our attitude is absolutely bang on and we’re driving to improve on the performance against Castleford. We need to make sure that we’re driving for excellence on a daily basis and striving for excellence in performance.
“We have been notorious as a club for looking back at games like this and kicking ourselves because we’ve missed an opportunity. That message has been delivered to the boys. They are fully aware of it. We need to make sure that we go out there and perform and perform well and make sure that we come back with two points in the bag after a strong performance at home.”
Toulouse won their first two games of the Super League season against Wakefield Trinity and Castleford but come into the Hull clash on the back of seven successive defeats. However, Last is far from writing them off and knows the threats they pose if his side aren’t on their game.
“Sylvain Houles has been around the game a long time and he knows the game,” Last explained. “Toulouse play a very, very expansive style of rugby. It’s very French and very flamboyant, so we need to be on our guard.
“I’ve been speaking from Monday morning when we got the boys together about it; it’s about our performance and our attitude and making sure that we’re really, really good in every aspect of how we want to play. We just need to make sure that we perform to the best of our capabilities.
“I still think there’s improvement in us. I wasn’t happy with the 10 points that we conceded at Castleford. I feel, and he’ll like me saying this, Marv (the media man) felt we left some points out there and as he said on one of the tweets, ‘I want more,’ and I certainly do.
“There are things that we need to do better. We need to improve because the challenges between now and the end of the season are going to get bigger and we just need to make sure that we keep looking to improve every week.
“We want to have an environment where they want to improve on a daily basis and get better every day. That’s the type of culture that we want to create.”
And for Last personally, the Toulouse game is an opportunity to build on what was a ‘dream’ start to his second spell as interim head coach away at Castleford last week.
“It gave me a real nice night’s sleep on Friday evening,” Last joked. “It’s a strange one. The last time I did the interim position back in COVID, there were no fans, so I didn’t get the adulation when we got wins from like I got on Friday evening and on the flip side of it, I also didn’t get the punches in the face, shall we say, if the results or performances weren’t great.
“It was different and I really, really enjoyed, the praise and the pats on the back from the supporters. It was a special moment for me going back to Castleford, where obviously I was head coach and getting a result. It was a proud moment. It was nice for my two lads and my daughter when I got home saying, ‘Look what they’re saying about you’ on Facebook and Instagram and all that type of stuff, which is lovely. But I’m not one of those on social media, so they can continue telling me when it’s positive and don’t tell me if it’s negative.
“That all comes with the territory and I’m sure there’s going to be some tough days sat in this chair, between now and the end of the season, but I’m just going to enjoy it and embrace it. I’m living out a little bit of a dream, getting the opportunity to lead my hometown club.”