Hull FC coach weighs in on environment change with small details key to mood change

Andy Last believes Hull FC's environment is now at a more 'acceptable' level, with the squad now into week six of pre-season training. Working out of their new training hub at the University of Hull, the squad is benefiting from their own identity, something that is helping discipline and professionalism this winter.

And for Last, who has returned to the club after four years away to work under new head coach John Carwright, it's just what a Super League club should look like, with Hull falling away from the required standards in recent years, something that coinsided with 10th and 11th place finishes over the last two seasons.

But with new and experienced players, experienced staff, and a top facility, they hope to be on the rise again, with Last's challenge to all at the club to now raise the bar and kick on, with a new takeover involving Andrew Thirkill set to be completed in the near future.

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"The drop-off shouldn't have happened, but what we've done now is get it back to a level that is now acceptable," Last, who has worked at Wakefield Trinity, Castleford Tigers, Catalans Dragons, and the England national side, told Hull Live. "We need to kick on now and push the bar a little bit.

"I've been fortunate to work at other clubs, and I've seen what the top clubs are doing. I worked internationally with England, and I know what their players get; we train out of Wigan, and we all know what Wigan's facilities are like.

"There's no surprise that Wigan are at the top and are the team that everyone else is chasing. They just do things right and consistently. As a club, we need to get back to that level and raise standards. That's what Carty has done in the first five weeks. He's set the bar high, and the players are striving hard to reach the targets that he wants."

Part of previous Hull FC setups at County Road, Last knows full well what that environment can do to the mood and general feeling around the place, with culture a word that is symbiotic with the club's recent history. Part of the 2016 and 2017 wins, Last was also around for the 2005 cup win and has also helped to bring through countless young players at the club.

"It's just little things like eating together; that's something the players weren't doing previously," Last continued. "They were spending time sat in their cars having lunch, so the fact that we're able to supply them with breakfast and lunch four times a week, that's been a massive improvement just to get that connection. We've also got our own social area where they can relax, with specific rooms for treatment, meetings, offices, and the like."

He added: "I was part of teams where we had some good years and successful seasons. We had our own training base at County Road, which was a great facility for us. We were able to change days as and when we wanted to, but we've moved in a different direction and moved to the university now.

"The university facility is second to none. The only downside is it's all on a booking basis, so you can't flip things how you want to, but that's part and parcel of it and as long as we stay organised, there's no issue. We're making the best of it, and the boys have really applied themselves well. We've booked what we need, and we're getting a great deal from it."

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