Andy Last has looked ahead to this evening’s clash against Huddersfield Giants at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, and says his side will not give up on hopes of the play-offs, and explained that the Black & Whites will continue to play for professional pride regardless of their position in the table for the remainder of the season.
Hull face Luke Robinson’s side this evening as they look to repeat their August victory over the West Yorkshire outfit at the same venue.
And although a play-off spot for the Airlie Birds may look a challenge with just six games remaining, Last says his side will not give simply give up on their efforts.
Speaking ahead of this evening’s match in his pre-match press conference, brought to you in association with Jacuzzi, Last said: “It is never off the table for us until it is mathematically impossible.
“We expect to give our best in every single game, and the nature of the competition is that you have to win as many as you can to be anywhere near the top end of the table.
“From now until the end of the season, we will be showing our professional responsibility to the club and have our own pride to play for, and that’s really important.
“If we were to win every game, who knows what could happen. And if we were to lose to Huddersfield, we’re still be going all out against Castleford and Catalans. It’s about performing to to the best of our ability every single week.”
He added: “A win against the Giants sees us move level with them. Its a strange one as if we can get that win, and Warrington beat Leeds, last Thursday’s game is irrelevant because we’re back in the same spot with key fixtures against Castleford and Catalans who are near us in the table.”
And Last says he believes his side are improving every week, and must mimic their defensive performance from the last time his side faced the Giants in August.
“I can never question our effort. We have only played two halves of rugby that I’ve been disappointed with since coming back, and that’s our second-half against Salford after the restart and the first-half of our quarter-final against Wigan.
“Other than that we have showed some real effort and desire throughout. There may have been some inconsistencies across our matches, but we seem to be improving in fluidity every game. #
“We still have some issues from a defensive point of view, but we are showcasing on occasions that we can defend, like we did last time against Huddersfield with some great line-speed and kick-pressure – we need to do that again.”
On the Giants, he added: “They have improved a lot since we last played them. Luke Robinson is in a similar position to be at the club in an interim capacity, and has got a spark in performance from his guys.
“Seizer and Gaskell are two great players in the halves; Seizer’s game management and ability to find the right pass is up there with the best in the competition. They have a run threat about them.
“For us to get the job done, we have to take care of their back three. Ashton Golding is full of industry and carries the ball out of back-field really well, and McGillvary and McIntosh get their sets started really well. We need to make sure we get to the end of our sets and turn the ball over on our terms.”
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