Andy Last on Hull FC’s win, James Bell, why he took both halves off, and backing it up next week.
23:17, 24 Apr 2026Updated 23:17, 24 Apr 2026
Hull FC’s head coach Andy Last celebrates at the end of the match.(Image: SW PIX)
Andy Last has praised his Hull FC players for what he deemed ‘close’ to an 80-minute performance at Castleford Tigers on Friday night. The Black and Whites ran out 50-10 winners in West Yorkshire, dismantling their opposition with nine tries for what was their best display of the season to date.
And for Last, placed in interim charge of Hull for the second time following his first spell back in 2020, it was the perfect start, ending a turbulent two weeks that has seen the end of the John Cartwright era with a thoroughly satisfying win.
Taking control of the game from the off, Hull were dominant in victory. They nailed the start of the game and built the foundation to race away to a huge half-time lead that they extended further after the break.
Davy Litten scored a brace of tries, with Jake Arthur, Tom Briscoe, Connor Bailey, Lewis Martin, Zak Hardaker, Cade Cust and Yusuf Aydin all crossing over during the win. Arthur, alongside Aidan Sezer, was superb in the halves, with James Bell outstanding at loose-forward.
Of course, tougher tests await Last and Hull, and there’s no beating around the bush on Castleford’s poor display, but that was a fine start, with the Hull-born coach’s personal satisfaction there to see.
“I’ve just been informed it’s the biggest win Hull FC have had at Castleford in 32 years,” Last, speaking post-match, said. “It was a really good response from a very connected group of players after a lot of adversity. I’m really pleased.
“We spoke all week about how important the start was. I know what it’s like here, and if you get the crowd into the game, the players feed off that energy from the supporters.
“I think the way we started was exceptional. We got to our kicks very well – we didn’t make an error until the 36th minute, so that created a little bit of fatigue in the opposition, and then when we got the opportunity to strike and execute, we did, and we scored some really nice tries.
“It was just a really good all-round performance, and the messages we kept drilling home to them were discipline, discipline in sticking to our game plan, kicking to Mikaele Ravalawa, and getting to points on the field where we could expose them. We did it really well and we scored some points because of it.”
Asked if it was an 80-minute performance, Last, who explained why he took Sezer, Arthur, and Bell off, continued: “It was close. There was a little period for me to assess and just be aware of. We had a couple of substitutions up our sleeve.
“I made the decision to bring Sezer off. He felt a little bit of fatigue in his hamstring. Jake Arthur was cramping up a bit as well and because we had Callum Kemp there (activated as the 18th Man after Ligi Sao’s failed HIA), I thought we could give him a little bit of game-time.
“We lost a bit of continuity, just for a period of five to ten minutes, but then we quickly grasped it back and we put in a really good performance. I’m really pleased for the group. There were some great performances.
“I thought James Bell was sensational. He played direct. He played the thirteen role similarly to John (Asiata), but his line speed, his energy, his footwork, and his decision-making, when to run and when to pass, I thought were sensational. It was nice to bring him off and to get him sat down and to tell him he did a great job and wrap a bit of cotton wool around him ahead of next week’s game against Toulouse.
“I thought Jake Arthur was also good along with Aidan Sezer. They controlled the game really well. Cade Cust and Amir Bourouh were good too, and that’s Hull FC – if you get your spine playing well, you give yourself a chance.”
And despite the satisfaction, Last knows victory counts for nothing unless Hull back it up against Toulouse at the MKM Stadium next Sunday afternoon.
“I’m here now as interim head coach and I’ll be encouraging those players to build on this performance and keep looking to drive standards on a day-to-day basis,” Last added. “If we do that, then we’ll get more performances and more results like that.”