RFL address Hull FC clock drama after Andy Last’s ‘disgraceful’ verdict
Hull FC's interim head coach Andy Last speaks during a press conference in 2026
The Rugby Football League has moved to correct Hull FC head coach Andy Last after he claimed his side were incorrectly informed about the amount of time left to play in their defeat to Wigan Warriors.
The Black and Whites fell short against the Warriors, but the game ended in bizarre circumstances as Hull ran the ball in for one last play, only for the hooter to then sound.
The in stadium clock had stopped displaying, and Last claimed his side had been told they had 25 seconds remaining, only for the hooter to sound after one play.
Andy Last blasts ‘disgraceful’ situation
“It’s disgraceful in my opinion,” Last said after the game. “That’s the second time in the space of a month, we played Warrington away, and just before half-time, the clock goes off.
“We think that we’ve got a full set of six, and then within two play-the-balls the game gets called.
“Today, we get told that there’s 25 seconds on the clock. We pass the ball one play, and the game gets called off. That shouldn’t be happening.
“It’s not good enough for us as a game. The clock’s a massive part of the game. The players use the clock during the game to make decisions. The fact the clock once again has gone off, that’s something that we really need to have a good look at, and we can’t have that.”
The RFL’s response
But the governing body has challenged that, insisting that was not the case. After analysing the audio of the match officials, players were told there were 25 seconds left when Hull took a drop out after Adam Keighran’s missed penalty. The Black and Whites successfully retrieved the drop out and won a penalty for a ball steal, marching them up field.
The audio then captures Liam Moore telling players there are seven seconds remaining, and the hooter subsequently sounds seven seconds later, after Jed Cartwright’s carry.
The other issue was that the clock in the stadium had stopped displaying. The RFL claim the issue was a stadium one due to lost network, but insists that had no impact on the clock and the amount of time remaining, as the timekeepers use a manual backup.
