St Helens v Hull FC: Airlie Birds looking for positive ending to avoid rock-bottom status

The hosts have, by their own lofty standards, had a poor 2026, one that sees them currently sat seventh in the standings, offering the very real possibility that they could miss out on the play-offs.

It is a campaign that has cost Paul Rowley – so impressive in the same position at both Leigh and Salford – his job after less than 12 months in charge.

With six rounds left, Saints have everything to play for.

For many Hull, by comparison, do not. Interim head coach Andy Last, however, strongly disagrees.

The Airlie Birds have, it has to be said, produced one of their worst seasons in the Super League era and are on course to match their worst-ever second-bottom finish they served up just two years ago.

Last week’s defeat at fellow strugglers Huddersfield Giants, however, has opened up the chance for Last’s team to sink even lower.

When Hull met the Giants seven weeks ago at the MKM Stadium, they enjoyed a deserved 36-12 win to put themselves six points clear of their West Yorkshire rivals.

Now there are just two points between the teams, the Giants building on a narrow win at York Knights a fortnight ago with last week’s 22-16 at home to Hull.

The Black and Whites have lost all seven games since that home win against Huddersfield on June 13.

Aside from the 36-10 hammering at the hands of second-placed Wakefield Trinity, they have not been far away in games from breaking that losing run.

But Last believes the possibility that Hull could yet hit ‘rock-bottom’ should simply serve as added motivation for his players to go against type and produce an overdue strong finish to the campaign, setting things up on a positive footing for new head coach Steve McNamara when he arrives to take over in October.

Last says his team should use Huddersfield’s mini-resurgence as an example to themselves as to what is possible

“I'm not worried about the prospect of finishing bottom,” said Last at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference. “That's the reality of the situation that we're currently in. And there's only one way to fix it and that's with hard work and with better performances.

“The team have shown that they're capable of getting some wins and Huddersfield are an example to us. A couple of wins and the table can look a whole lot different – it can lift the whole mood of the club. The players are aware of that and that’s why we're looking forward to tomorrow night's game.”

In terms of the solid platform he was tasked with providing for McNamara to build off ahead of 2027, Last admits it hasn’t yet been achieved.

“We've lost too many games,” said Last, his team looking to pick up what would only be their sixth league win of the yea when they head to the BrewDog Stadium tonight.

“But there are numerous reasons for that and I'm not going to divulge that here. There's been some individuals who probably haven’t been in the best form and collectively we haven't been at our best.

“That's been frustrating because it's about results, it's about winning. You get the clichés, ‘even when they've not played well, they've found a way to win’ – but there have been some games where we've played well and we haven't won.

“It's about winning at high-level sport and we haven't won enough games. When you don't win enough games, that builds a little bit of pressure and a little bit of frustration. That's evident within the playing group.

“They get frustrated because they feel they are not far away. We've just got to make sure that we keep delivering the right message, keep working hard, try and pick the boys up, when they are low on confidence.

“Sometimes as a coach, it's not always about telling the players what you want to tell them.

Sometimes it's about telling the players what they need to hear.

“Hitting them over the head all the time isn't always the right way, although it's honest and it's holding them accountable, there are times where you have to put your arm around them and pump the tyres up a little bit to get the desired result - which is the better performance we’re all aiming for at the weekends.

“Because if you get that better performance, you give yourself a better chance of getting the two points.”

Last will have to make do against Saints without Davy Litten, who is out with an ankle injury.

The influential centre has been strongly linked with a switch to Wakefield Trinity for 2027, something Last refused to comment on.

Arthur Romano could make his long-awaited return from injury after being sidelined for over 10 weeks with ankle and wrist issues.