Hull FC interim boss Andy Last has offered his verdict on his side’s 36-12 win over Huddersfield Giants.
The Black and Whites secured their first win in five matches after a much-improved showing over Super League’s bottom side.
Ethan O’Neill crossed twice, whilst Amir Bourouh, Logan Moy, Harvey Barron and Jake Arthur all got on the scoresheet as well.
The side do have some disciplinary concerns, however, with Bourouh in particular hoping to avoid a charge after a cannonball tackle on Mathieu Cozza.
Speaking to Sky Sports post-match, Last summarised the game, saying: “It was a good performance. A lot of aspects of the performance that I really, really liked.
“We managed to stay in the grind for a little bit longer than Huddersfield did. We actually executed a couple of really, really nice plays and scored some nice tries, which is brilliant for us, especially in front of a big crowd.
Last believes that the win will now give the side some confidence, and they will need as much confidence as they can get with upcoming games seeing them take on Wakefield, Wigan and Hull KR in their next three.
“Hopefully it gives us a little bit of confidence,” he said. “Getting a win and a strong performance will just give us a little bit of confidence, and it just makes the whole environment a little bit of a different place when you’re going on a Monday morning on the back of a win and getting two points.
“I’m sure the boys will be really pleased. They’ll probably celebrate with a couple of beers tonight, a couple of light ones, because we’re on a short turnaround against Wakefield.
Academy stars such as Logan Moy, Will Kirby and Will Hutchinson were all brilliant this afternoon, and the club have had to rely on their youth due to the vast amount of player injuries in their side.
The youngsters stepped up and some this afternoon, something they have continued to do all season.
“That’s a blueprint for success,” Last said regarding using young players. “ You look at clues from successful teams of the Super League era, the Leeds Rhinos, the St Helens, the Wigan, they’ve all had a sprinkling of their own talent.
“We’ve got a good bunch of boys in the first team at the moment who are getting some experience and being exposed to some real tough competition. And they’re holding their end up. I thought Logan Moy today was absolutely outstanding.
“Safe at the back, caught some unbelievable catches under pressure. And then obviously Lloyd Kemp, Will Kirby, Will Hutchinson, like you say, more than held their own.
“They’re really pleasing aspects of obviously the tough time that we’re going through at the moment, and that’s only going to be good for us in the future.
Asked if we could see any potential returnees next week against Wakefield, the boss replied: “We’re hopeful of getting a couple back for the Wakefield game, but I’m sure there’ll be one or two bumps and bruises from today’s game.”
Hull FC boss praises fans following “brilliant” John Kear tribute
Before finishing the interview, Last took the opportunity to thank the Hull fans, who for the final 10 minutes sang about the late John Kear, who was a loved figure at the MKM Stadium after a hugely successful time as head coach.
Kear passed away just under a fortnight ago, and in what was the first home game for Hull since his death, the FC faithful gave a fitting tribute to the 71-year-old.
“I thought the last 10 minutes, the song regarding John Kear was outstanding,” he said. “That really, really pleased me. I was up there and laughing away.
“‘He’s got no hair, but we don’t care. Super Johnny Kear’, I thought it was brilliant. And it kept going for about 10-15 minutes in the end.
“And I think that’s just a tribute to the type of guy that John was and how much he meant to this club.”
