A firm stance from Hull FC interim coach Andy Last.
Hull FC have held talks with former Melbourne Storm prop Suliasi Vunivalu.
Andy Last has warned his Hull FC players not to get caught up in ‘next year’, with the here and now very much the primary focus.
The club are expecting to make some big changes for the 2027 season, with Steve McNamara coming in as their new head coach.
That will see new player signings and new staff appointments made, and facility upgrades also coming to the fore – and while there are a lot of moving parts at play, it’s the final 12 games that the interim head coach is focused on.
On that front, Hull host Wigan Warriors at the MKM Stadium in their next Super League game on Saturday afternoon – and while it’s a tough-looking task, FC’s interim boss is determined to give it a full crack.
“We can’t afford to do that (look ahead),” Last told Hull Live. “We’ve got 12 games of this season left to play – and I’m a professional coach and I want to get the best out of the current group of players.
“We want to try and finish the season better than we’ve done the first half of it. There’s a lot to talk about next year and what could be coming, but we’ve got to focus on these next 12 games as a group of players and staff and nail the here and now.
“What comes next year will come, but this group of players, it’s the last time that we’re going to be together. So we need to make sure that the current group of players give it everything they’ve got, play for the shirt, and give a good account of themselves and the same goes for us as a staff.
“There’s still lots to play for; every time you pull on the shirt, there are opportunities, and they certainly motivate me. I am really looking forward to this week’s game and I’m excited by the 80 minutes, which is going to be in front of us on a Saturday afternoon.”
And while Last is focused on getting to grips with the 2026 season, he isn’t ignoring the elephant in the room. He’s in contact with McNamara – and will be one of his assistant coaches next term.
“I speak to him,” Last said. “He was at the scholarship game last night. He was there watching in the sunshine that next crop of players coming through our system.
“I speak to him probably once a week and exchange a couple of messages here and there. But Steve out of respect to the job that is doing at Warrington and me out respect to the job that I’m doing here, we sort of try and put a little bit of the next year stuff on the back burner.
“We’re both professional about our current positions and Steve’s professional to do the best job for Warrington. I’m sure he’s doing little bits and pieces in the background with regards to what could be coming in next year but next year is still 12 games away for us so we need to make sure that we do the right thing about these next 12 games.”
One of those bits and pieces is Suliasi Vunivalu. The club has held talks with the Fijian winger – and while there has been speculation the deal is now off, that isn’t necessarily the case.
“Yeah, in regards to that, I know they’ve had conversations, but I think that’s as far as it’s gone,” he added. “There are conversations between us as a club and Steve and Vunivalu.
“But I haven’t got involved in that. I’ve got enough on my plate, so to speak, with Wigan and the way that they’re playing, rather than worrying about what might come in next year.”