Hull FC’s Tom Briscoe will play the final game of his professional career on Friday night.
Retiring Hull FC outside back Tom Briscoe.(Image: SW PIX)
Andy Last is counting on his Hull FC side to put in a strong performance for retiring player Tom Briscoe on Friday night.
The Black and Whites go up against Leeds Rhinos at Headingley in what will be their final game of the 2026 season – and the veteran outside back’s career, with the 36-year-old making the decision to hang up the boots at the end of the year.
Last has challenged his players to use Briscoe as motivation to perform against the Rhinos, who will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Wigan Warriors last time out. Hull are also looking to right the wrongs of a season low at Toulouse last week, with Briscoe, who first debuted for Hull as a 17-year-old back in 2008, set to line up one final time in the Black and White.
“When we looked at the videos today, he’s not aged a great deal, so he’s doing something right,” Last joked. “But he’s been a great servant for the game, has Tom. He’s a champion player and a champion person.
“He has been a great credit to his family and to himself. Now he’s got a young family, he’s a husband and a dad, and he’s a doctor. He’s ticked off plenty of boxes, and I’m hoping the emotion of his last game spurs on the other 16 blokes that will take to the field to put in a strong performance.
“Tom deserves a real strong performance from the Black and Whites, and especially against the Rhinos, who he served with great distinction. Hopefully we can put on a good spectacle because he deserves it. He’s been a champion and I wish him the best of luck in whatever he chooses to do after his last game on Friday.”
As for the match, Hull know what awaits them at Headingley, with Leeds looking to get back on track before their home Super League semi-final later this month.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Last said. “It’s always a great place to go and play, Headingley, and it’s going to be a packed out stadium.
“I’m sure the Leeds supporters will turn out in force to celebrate Tommy Briscoe’s last game of his career. He’s been a great servant to the Leeds Rhinos, to us, and to Leigh. I’m expecting a big crowd and a really strong response from a well-coached team in the Rhinos.
“They’ll be disappointed with how they played against Wigan last week and the result, and they’ll want to bounce back very, very quickly. We’re expecting the best version of Leeds.
“I anticipate them really coming flying out the blocks, and seeing their squad, they’ve got some key players back for them (Keenan Palasia and Maika Sivo). It’s going to be a real challenge.”
Outlining Hull’s motivation, Last pointed to the club’s departing players, with the likes of Davy Litten and Zak Hardaker playing their final game before moving to pastures new. He added: “It’s an important game for us. We’ve got a lot of reasons to play well, for the guys who are leaving and the staff who are leaving.
“We’ve just touched on Tom Briscoe playing his final game. We need to make sure we put in a strong 80-minute performance, especially on the back of how poor we were in the first 40 minutes against Toulouse last week.
“As professional players, we should have been stinging. We were stinging. And the fact we were able to get some momentum and play a bit better in the second half, I’m hoping that transfer itself into Leeds and we can put in a strong 80-minute performance.
“It’s always a fixture we look out for. After Hull KR, I’d probably say Leeds are the team we have a big rivalry with. We take big numbers there and there have been some good games between the two teams over the last few years. We’re looking for a big performance.”