Andy Last adding England detail into Hull FC training as brave Ashes call made

Working with some of the best players in the game with the England national side this autumn, you’d assume Andy Last would have a few tricks up his sleeve coming back to Hull FC this pre-season. And that is exactly the case.

Part of Shaun Wane’s backroom team, Last enjoyed another series whitewash, with England defeating Samoa 2-0 to follow on from last year’s 3-0 success over Tonga. And now the 43-year-old, who has returned to the Black and Whites on a three-year deal, is injecting that experience and that knowledge into his boyhood club.

Focusing on two players in particular—George Williams and Herbie Farnworth—Last is keen to bring on and help develop Hull’s rising talent, with the likes of Jack Charles and Davy Litten benefiting from one-to-one sessions. Putting together a video package, Last has identified traits in each England star and is now coaching them to two of Hull’s brightest young talents—with Litten ‘obsessed’ with Farnworth, who was nominated for the Golden Boot award as one of the best players in rugby league today.

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"I learned so much in the Test series," Last, speaking exclusively to Hull Live, said. "Some of the stuff that I learned and some of the players that I worked with, I've been using that with young Jack Charles, showing him examples of George Williams and why he's such a good player, where he stands, and how he commands his side. Then Davy Litten; he's injured at the moment, but he's become obsessed with Herbie Farnworth and wants to know why Herbie is such a good player.

"It's no surprise that the best players work the hardest. Herbie is one of the first ones out onto the training field, and he's the last one to leave. He's such a good professional. He's constantly got his poles out and his ladders out practicing his footwork, and then you watch him in a game; he's the left centre, but he pops up on the right side of the field. It's all effort-based; it's all fitness-based.

"I clipped up the first and second Test matches and sat down with our young outside backs, Davy being one of them, and they were blown away by how many involvements he had. That's been brilliant for me to look in detail at those top players, but then feed them back to the players we've got here at Hull FC. If they can aspire to be like George Williams and Herbie Farnworth, then they're only going to get better. It's really, really exciting.”

Working with Wane has really developed Last as a coach, who first stepped onto the England scene in 2020. The duo have a tight bond and are just as in sync off the training field as they are on it, with Last stepping up to take charge of the Test team against France in Toulouse earlier this year while Wane underwent surgery on his ankle.

"He's unbelievable," Last said on Wane. "He's a fantastic coach. He keeps it very simple, but he wants his players to work extremely hard. He's obsessed with discipline, and he's obsessed with detail. He's a really hard worker, but if you get onside with him, you're honest, and you work hard for him, then he's an absolutely champion bloke.

"He has also become a close friend, and he is someone who I respect hugely. He's not only a great coach, but he's also a great man. I've learned a great deal from him, not only from a coaching point of view but also just from the type of person he is as a father to his two girls, the grandfather he is to his grandchildren, and as a husband to his wife Lorraine; he's just a champion fella. I've learned a great deal from him, and I know that wherever my path goes as a rugby league coach, Waney will remain one of my very close friends.”

Last will continue on the England fold next season, with Wane’s side set to host Australia in a mouthwatering three-match Ashes series, the first in twenty years. And while he’s fully committed to Hull FC, the passion for his nation and the international game is also there to see.

"I love the work I do on the England programme; you're working with the best players, and I love spending time in Shaun's company," Last explained. "We have got a great relationship, and we have a great laugh. We respect each other, and it's a really healthy relationship. It's one I want to continue to build."

And as for the Ashes, Last added: "To go up against the Aussies in a three-match Test series, that's what dreams are made of. When I first got the job in 2020, we were due to play the Aussies in a Test series, and it unfortunately got cancelled, but ever since I was a little boy, it's always been Great Britain vs. Australia or England vs. Australia, so on my bucket list, I want to be part of it, and getting the opportunity to be part of an Ashes series as a coach, I just need to keep making sure I'm doing my job well with Hull, and next year will come, and we can have a crack at them.

"It will be great for the game. I think for the game to grow, it really needs to embrace the international game; it can reach a greater audience, and there's nothing better than England vs. Australia. It's certainly whetted my appetite, and I'm sure it will whet the appetite of the Super League guys this year.

"Everyone should be striving and have the want to play for England and improve that talent pool. I really do feel like if we can keep our best 30-40 players fit in the competition, then we can beat them. I really do think we can beat them.

"We showcased how good we are against that Samoan team, and they're loaded with NRL players, but we've got 7-8 players now who are in that world-class category. I think another strong Super League competition with the recruitment of teams right across will only strengthen it and the international pool. I'm really excited to be a part of it."

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