Hull FC part company with Lee Radford following "unacceptable" defeat

It was a fourth defeat in five games for the Black and Whites and chairman Adam Pearson has lost patience.

He said: "Lee and I have decided to call it a day tonight.

"It was a decision that doesn't rest easily with me but I don't think that we're going in the right direction at the minute.

"We've decided to go our separate ways. I'd just like to place on record the unbelievable job he's done.

"He's a stand-up loyal guy who works tremendously hard and he's put his life into this club for seven years. We're going to miss him."

Hull-born Radford took over at the end of 2013 and went on to earn hero status for the Black and Whites after ending their long Wembley hoodoo.

He led them to a Challenge Cup final victory in 2016 and they followed it up by winning again at Wembley 12 months later.

They have regularly been top-five contenders during his reign but have never fulfilled their promise when it came to Super League and have still not reached a Grand Final since 2006.

Hull went on a big recruitment drive ahead of this season bringing in a raft of NRL talent as well as Great Britain back-row Josh Jones and St Helens winger Adam Swift.

They started impressively with wins at Leeds Rhinos and against Hull KR but lost three successive matches against St Helens, Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons.

The home defeats against Saints and Catalans were particularly hard to take but Radford seemed to have eased the pressure with Friday's Golden Point win at Wakefield Trinity.

However, Hull were appalling tonight and Pearson announced the news live on Sky Sports.

Asked if Radford knew that would be his fate before kick-off, if his side did falter, Pearson said: "I don't think so.

"But Lee is nobody's fool and he realised today that certain aspects of that performance are just not acceptable.

"We've got to regroup as a club and a team and we're all going to have to pull together.

"Andy Last will be in charge from tomorrow morning and we will try to get a few players back and go again for Huddersfield.

"It's not a job that has given me any pleasure whatsoever because he's a guy of the utmost quality."