Andy Last insists his Hull FC players will give it everything at Castleford on Friday night.
Andy Last will take interim charge of Hull FC for the rest of the 2026 season.(Image: Dave Lofthouse)
Andy Last is ‘very confident’ he has got the buy-in from Hull FC’s players and has challenged them to block out the events of the last two weeks when they go to Castleford Tigers on Friday night.
The Black and Whites head to West Yorkshire for their first game under their interim coach and first since John Cartwright was ‘stepped down’ as head coach after last Thursday’s defeat against St Helens.
Appointing Steve McNamara for 2027 and beyond on a four-year deal, Last now has 19 games to salvage something from Hull’s season, and he’s adamant the required minerals are instilled in the group – who were briefed by CEO Richie Myler earlier this week – to do just that.
For the Hull-born coach, a passionate Black and white, it’s all about attitude, and he’s confident his players – who have ‘galvanised’ in the lead-up to a crucial Super League clash – will continue to fight for the year and make something of what has been a mixed campaign to date.
“We’ve got a more than capable team to go to Castleford and pick up two points,” Last, speaking in his pre-match press conference, said. “The challenge to the playing group is to put all of our focus on that and put all of what’s happened to a side.
“We’ve drawn a line in the sand and we need to move forward as a playing group and move forward as a club. The challenge for us is to put our best performance of the season in on Friday night.
“I’m very, very confident that we’ve got the buy-in to do that. The players have been very professional in this moment. Some senior players have really stood up and shown some strong leadership. The likes of Batch (Joe Batchelor) and Zak (Hardaker) and John Asiata and Will Pryce, even the guys who are injured, have spoken with poise and passion.
“They have used their experience wisely and we have galvanised as a group. We’ve got a real siege mentality. We just need to go out there now and perform on Friday.”
Outlining the challenge against Castleford, who have an identical Super League record to Hull’s, Last, who coached at the Tigers a couple of years ago, continued: “Castleford had an exceptional game over Wigan over the weekend. They got a win that was probably unexpected and in the press after the game, Ryan Carr spoke about backing up a strong performance with another strong performance at home. We’re expecting the best of Castleford.
“I know the club very well and the people there and how passionate the supporters are. That’s one of the big things we’ve got to go there and stop early. Our start is a big focus for us – if you get the Jungle rocking it’s a really tough place to play. We’re excited about the challenge, we’re looking forward to it, and hopefully, we can get a really strong performance.”
Hull are looking to finish a rough fortnight with what would be an incredibly satisfying win – their fourth of the league season. Keen to manage the emotion, Last added: “We just need to try and channel it in the right area. Emotion is a good thing if you can use your emotion to sharpen your intent when you’re defending and your focus from an attack point of view.
“I think what’s been evident is when the team shows that togetherness, celebrating wins, big tackles – like against Leeds – the fans really get on board with that. It was a brilliant example of when we get that connection with the playing group and the supporters.
“We’re looking forward to trying to ensure our actions get our supporters on board again and get them excited with the way their team is playing. That’s something I’ll be driving for Friday night.”