FC coach makes crucial youth point as long-term goal

BLACK AND WHITES WANT TO BLOOD THEIR OWN PLAYERS

- By DAN TOMLINSON

ONE of Hull FC's big focuses is youth development, but for Andy Last, there's a catch: they have to be good enough.

The Hull-born assistant coach, who debuted as a local player at the club back in 1999, is as passionate as anyone when it comes to local players breaking through into the first team, but he also insists those opportunities have to be earned and not handed out for the sake of it.

Hull’s long-term goal is to have the backbone of their side club-produced, they have taken the first steps to doing just that with three of their back line featuring heavily in the team this year - and on merit.

The club's two young wingers, Lewis Martin and Harvey Barron, have kept their place all year, while Davy Litten hasn't looked back at centre since making his comeback from injury.

Ideally, Hull would love to see more come through and earn their places, with Last praising those three players and offering the incentive for more to come through.

"I think the big thing is those lads have to be good enough," Last said. "I'm all for giving young lads an opportunity, but you can’t just give them opportunities based on the back of other people not being good enough.

"They've got to get their opportunities, they've got to play well, and they have to stay in the team on the back of performance.

"I think the guys who have staked a claim, Davy, Lewis, and Harvey, their performances have been good enough to stay in the team.