Hull FC made strides forward in 2025, and it’s all centred off one thing.
There’s no doubt that Hull FC took strides forward in 2025. Finishing seventh in the Super League competition and just missing out on the play-offs, last season was a marked improvement on what was a dismal 2024.
The Black and Whites, led by John Cartwright, restored pride in performance and gained back connection through the whole club, including their supporters. And for Andy Last, who in total has worked at Hull for over 20 years in two spells, there’s one word that stands out more than most: DNA.
In fact, there’s a quote from Lee Radford’s reign as head coach that runs supreme: ‘Live this team.’ And that, in the assistant coach’s view, is exactly what Hull did this year.
Speaking to Hull Live, Last said: “We used a line under Radders which was ‘Live this team’ and that was something that I felt I did under him. It’s something I still live by today, making sure we do the right thing day in, day out for Hull FC.
“I think we’ve instilled that back in the club this year. The club has got that DNA back and that’s from hard work. We’ve really turned a corner in terms of we’re no pushovers now; we’re really difficult to beat, we’re gritty, and we keep working hard until the final whistle goes. Some games we got beat, but we were always in the fight and that resonated with our supporters. They got on board with that.
“We’re pleased with some of the things that we did last season but we need to continue that good work and continue that work ethic in what we did, that resilience that we had, and build on that moving forward.”
Kicking on is now the collective goal. Hull are content with what they did, but naturally, there’s also disappointment in missing out on the top six after being inside the play-off positions for large parts of the year.
Rectifying that is the biggest motive for 2026, and ensuring that Hull are a top six finals side. To do that, there’s one thing that stands out.
“The obvious one is our home form,” Last said when asked about improvements. “For whatever reason, it just doesn’t quite happen for us at home. We spoke about it not being an issue, but it’s there.
“I don’t know why it is, but I’m hoping next year we can create a real fortress for ourselves at home and the supporters create that cauldron of an atmosphere. I understand that the team has to perform well for the supporters to get behind it but the lads did a really good job this year in instilling a bit of pride and passion back in the shirt.
“I’m sure the supporters will be there in numbers to create that atmosphere and help them to perform well at home next season. We need to make the MKM a fortress again.”
And as for being back at Hull, Last, in his element again, is thriving. A proud Hull-born coach, the 44-year-old is determined to do his role to ensure the Black and Whites get back to where they believe they belong.
“It’s been a very satisfying one,” Last said of his first year back at the club. “I spoke 12 months ago with Richie (Myler) and he painted a picture of where the club was going to be going with the investment from Andrew (Thirkill) and David (Hood) – and it certainly fulfilled its expectations in the first year.
“The relationship I’ve built with Carty has been really, really good. Carty is a really loyal man – a real rugby man – and I’ve learnt a lot from him. I like the way he goes about his business and how he goes about setting the team and the club up. I just think the signings we’ve made for the coming season are really exciting.
“We’re disappointed not to make the play-offs; we fell short at the last hurdle. Unfortunately, we just ran out of bodies and that created some issues for us, but the club really are starting to head in the right direction again after a couple of years in the wilderness, and that’s credit to everyone involved in the club.
“But certainly to Richie and Carty for pointing us in the right direction. Everyone seems on board and we’re working hard. Again, we’ve created a DNA for ourselves which is all about being hard-working and being difficult to beat. We just need to continue with that next season now.”