Hull FC interim coach Andy Last hopes that his side’s recent upturn in form will aid his chances of securing the job on a permanent basis.
Last, who is an assistant coach to Shaun Wane for England, has been in charge since the club parted company with Lee Radford in March.
He has overseen six wins from eleven in charge in total, including three of the last four, culminating in last week’s impressive 48-6 win over Castleford Tigers.
Last says he has not held recent discussions with Hull Chairman Adam Pearson about what will happen at the end of the season, but believes he is now seeing progress from his squad.
Last said: “We had a chat six to eight weeks ago and Adam said to continue what I was doing.
“He said I was doing a good job in a very difficult period and he needed me to settle the ship and navigate the club through tough waters.
“I feel as though I’ve done that during that period of adversity with the challenges we faced, and the team has really come together and shown some improvements in performance.
“We’ve steadied the ship, but with regards to the long-term I’m not sure what the plan is.
“I want to keep working hard with the group, which we’ve been doing and hope the positive performances continue.”
Asked whether it has been difficult to avoid looking further ahead than the end of the season, Last responded: “ I know it’s an old cliché but we have taken it game by game and you can’t look too far ahead in the current situation.
“It’s very difficult to plan long-term because of financial implications, what’s happening with Sky and with fans coming back. It’s really difficult from the club’s point of view.
“That has given us a focus week-to-week, and that’s probably helped my own mindset not get too concerned with what’s happening in the future.
“It’s allowed me to step out of the shadows, spend a bit more time with the press and give me a bit more profile.
“I’ve enjoyed that exposure and hopefully I’ve not done my reputation any harm.”
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