Hull FC proud to fly flag for Yorkshire in Super League semi-finals

INTERIM head coach Andy Last has spoken of his “pride” at Hull FC being the last Yorkshire club in contention for Super League – and has urged hospitalised chairman Adam Pearson not to get too excited watching Thursday night’s game.

The Black and Whites visit League Leaders’ Shield winners Wigan Warriors for a place in next Friday’s Grand Final which, ironically, will be staged at Hull’s KCOM Stadium.

With Huddersfield Giants just missing out on the top-six and Castleford Tigers – second before lockdown – and Wakefield Trinity both finishing well off the pace, only Leeds Rhinos and Hull initially qualified for the play-offs.

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However, Leeds fell against Catalans Dragons on Friday after sixth-placed Hull stunned third-placed Warrington Wolves 27-14 to set up tonight’s semi-final, before St Helens host Catalans tomorrow.

“It’d be fantastic to get there,” admitted Last, who ran on messages the last time Hull got to their only previous Grand Final in 2006.

“The White Rose will hopefully be going up against a Red Rose one – or the French – in the Grand Final.

“I might draw on Wagga (former Castleford, Hull and England hooker Wayne Godwin) to give us one of his motivational speeches as a proud Yorkshireman leading into the game!

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“It’s something we’re very, very proud of to be the last Yorkshire team in the competition. We’re up against the French and the two sides in Lancashire who have been the two dominant sides for a long time – Wigan and St Helens.

Hull FC's interim coach Andy Last (Picture: SWPix.com)Hull FC's interim coach Andy Last (Picture: SWPix.com)
Hull FC's interim coach Andy Last (Picture: SWPix.com)

“We’re under no illusions whoever we face moving forward it will be a challenge but I think this will be the biggest challenge.

“Wigan at Wigan in a semi-final. They don’t get any bigger.

“The task became even more difficult last week when it was announced one of the greats of our game – Sean O’Loughlin – is retiring. It will be a real, real challenge but we’re looking forward to going up against them.”

Admittedly, St Helens is in Merseyside and Wigan is in Greater Manchester but – just hours after Queensland defeated New South Wales in a dramatic State of Origin decider – you understand where Last is coming from. England and Wigan captain O’Loughlin, 37, is expected to play on his home ground one last time but benevolent Hull owner Pearson, will not be in attendance because he is in hospital with Covid-19, as first reported by The Yorkshire Post.

Hull's Joe Cator is tackled by Warrington's Daryl Clark en route to the Airlie Birds play-off semi-final win last week. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)Hull's Joe Cator is tackled by Warrington's Daryl Clark en route to the Airlie Birds play-off semi-final win last week. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)
Hull's Joe Cator is tackled by Warrington's Daryl Clark en route to the Airlie Birds play-off semi-final win last week. (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)
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Pearson, who turns 56 on Thursday, has seen the club win two Challenge Cup finals since he took over in 2013 but now hopes they can also secure a first league title since 1983.

Last – who has been in caretaker charge since Pearson sacked Lee Radford in March – said: “He was in a dark place leading into the Warrington game from a personal health point of view.

“He messaged me and let me know he’d been admitted to hospital with Covid. He wished me the best of luck and was looking forward to watching it on his iPad and after the game he was over the moon.

“I did say to him I hope he doesn’t get too worked up while watching it as he is a very emotional man and a passionate owner – we don’t want any alarms going off – and he promised me to do his best to keep his emotions in check so I’m hoping Adam will do the same on Thursday.

Andy Last in training (PIcture: SWPix.com)Andy Last in training (PIcture: SWPix.com)
Andy Last in training (PIcture: SWPix.com)
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“He’s in reasonable spirits. He’s just frustrated he won’t be able to be there as I know he’d want to be.”

On the prospect of reaching the final – Hull lost at Wigan in the 2016 semi-final – Last added: “It’d mean a great deal to us.

“It’s what the club set out to do at the beginning of the season.

“We didn’t quite find our rhythm but it’s a strange old year.

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“We’ve managed to benefit from the change of the system to the top six and we’ve got some momentum.

“We’ve found some good form and have some individuals playing the best they have done and playing at their best at the right time of the year.

“That’s credit to them as individuals and the staff behind the scenes deserve a lot of credit. The fact we’ve got a clean bill of health shows how hard that support staff have been working and not only working hard but smartly.

“The boys have bought into it. We’ve suffered in previous years – certainly in 2018 and ‘19 – at not being able to get our best players on the pitch consistently and that’s impacted our performance.

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“But being able to call on the same 20-odd players at the business end now has really helped in our continuity and it’s been evident in our performances.”

With that in mind, Last is set to name the same 17 tonight that defeated Warrington.

Meanwhile, the England assistant coach still does not know if he will be in charge of FC in 2021 but he said: “I don’t want the focus to be on my position.

“It’s on the team and when I say that I mean the support staff and all the bubble we’ve created here.

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“We’ve got a good thing going and I hope we’re able to find another 80-minute performance as we will need it against Wigan.”

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