Hull coach ’embarrassed’ by York loss as Jed Cartwright drama shared

Interim Hull FC coach Andy Last declared himself ’embarrassed’ by the nature of their performance in their defeat to York Knights – and insists aspects of their play were ‘unacceptable’.

Hull recovered from a sloppy start at the LNER Community Stadium to lead 16-8 at half-time, and they looked to be on course for a promising victory that would have moved them clear of York in the Super League table.

However, they did not score a single point after the restart, with indiscipline their undoing as they allowed Mark Applegarth’s side to win 20-16.

And Last did not hold back post-match.

Andy Last ’embarrassed’ by Hull FC

The Hull coach delivered a scathing assessment of his side’s display and pulled no punches in explaining how appalled he was by what his team delivered in the second half in particular.

“You can’t play well for only 20 minutes and expect to win,” Last said. “I was embarrassed by how we performed in that second half. So many cheap turnovers, so many poor decisions made and the ill-discipline as a team, we got punished. Seven yardage penalties, that was unacceptable from us and I’m very, very disappointed.”

Last continued: “We spoke at half-time, about how we wanted to start the game and about getting the intent right.

“They tackled a bit harder than us in a good area but we got to grips with the game and the second 20 minutes in that first half, we played how we’d practiced.

“Half-time came, a big focus was on the next period of the match and we didn’t get it right with cheap turnovers. Gifting a team like York field position, it makes it very difficult – especially on a warm night.”

Last explains Jed Cartwright drama

Hull had to change their team at the last minute after the club sanctioned a deal to loan out Jed Cartwright to St Helens. That meant a reshuffle, with Last moving around his starting team and his interchange bench as a result.

That meant Hull did not have a single training session with the team that played, with the Black and Whites’ decision to loan Cartwright out coming after their team run on Wednesday.

Last admitted that was far from ideal – but said it couldn’t be used as an excuse.

He said: “It was a late change, to have made that after team run yesterday. That deal got done very quickly, and it didn’t give us any field time with the team we had but that’s just an excuse.

“The players didn’t perform out there and you’ve got to play well for more than 20 minutes. It’s unacceptable and I’m bitterly disappointed – and they will know that when I get in the changing rooms.”