Simon Grix believes Hull FC’s appointment of Andy Last will ‘narrow the focus’ next year, with the Hull-born coach set to join Grix as one of John Cartwright’s assistant coaches for the 2025 season and beyond.
Arriving on a three-year deal, Cartwright will link up with the Black and Whites this autumn ahead of pre-season training, with Last too returning to his hometown club after a four-year absence.
And for Grix, who will move into the second season of his two-year deal, Last’s appointment will give all three coaches the best opportunity to ‘nail their roles’ ahead of what is a new-look squad both on and off the field next year, with the club ‘assembling a good team’ with more roles and arrivals still to be confirmed.
"I think it's a great appointment, and it couldn't have come at a better time." Grix said when asked about Last’s appointment. "Lasty probably never wanted to leave, but circumstances around that were out of his control. He loves Hull, and he gets to come back to be with his family and also join the club that he loves. He is not England's assistant for no reason either. He's an experienced coach who has seen all levels of the game at this club all the way through.
"For us as a group, we’re assembling a good team off the pitch for next year, and we've made some improvements there, which are really important. You can spend an absolute wedge of money on the playing group but it’s important that we have the right support around them, and along with a new physio (Andy Shea) and some changes in the backroom, I think we've made some really good steps there.
"It will narrow the focus a bit, I think, instead of being across everything, I'll have my area, Lasty will have his, and John too, and then we will all come together. It will be good, and it will give us an opportunity to really nail our roles instead of being spread across the lot. It’ll be good for the playing group as well. I know Lasty is passionate about Hull and that's something that we really need to express to a lot of new players that are coming to the club, of how much it means, not only to us who are already here, but to the wider public and our fans."
Last has also singled out his previous success at the club in developing young talent, with the first team containing several promising young players that will hopefully become mainstays of the side in the years to come. Grix, meanwhile is fully behind that, also saying he will develop as a coach working with Last, who has picked up further experiences at Wakefield Trinity, Castleford Tigers, and current club Catalans Dragons, as well as England, in recent seasons.
"The aim, short, medium, and long term, is to bring through your own, and having someone who has seen every level of it, is really important," Grix added. “There's a lot of scenarios that Lasty will have been through during his career at Hull, Catalans, and with England, that will be really beneficial to the whole group, and not just the players. I’m sure I’ll learn loads off him as well. It's a really positive appointment."
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