ANDY LAST reserved his strongest praise for James Bell after getting off the mark as Hull FC interim coach with a 50-10 victory at Castleford Tigers.
Bell played at loose-forward in the long-term injury absence of John Asiata.
“There were some great displays in there,” said Last.
“James Bell was sensational. He played direct, played the 13 role similar to John.
“His line speed, energy, footwork and decision-making were sensational.
“It was nice to be able to bring him off, say ‘well done, that was a fine job’, and wrap him in some cotton wool.”
Last’s first win back in charge of Hull came at the club he led unsuccessfully for five months in 2023 and Last admitted: “I enjoyed that.
“I’ve just been told it’s the biggest Hull win here at Castleford in 32 years.
“The way we started was exceptional. We didn’t make an error until the 36th minute. That created fatigue in them (Castleford).
“When the opportunity to strike came, we did. We scored some nice tries and there were some really, really good all-round performances.
“They stuck to the gameplan and did what we asked them. It was great to see. We’re a good side when we do that and it showed.”