Hull Seahawks v Peterborough Phantoms: Matty Davies hoping home ice helps keep Seahawks' play-off dream alive

The Seahawks take on the Phantoms over two nights knowing they have to win both games in order to finish above them in Group A and book their place at the Final Four Weekend at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena next week.

Anything less will mean an end to the Seahawks’ 2023-24 season.

Since Hull lost both games against Leeds Knights on the opening weekend of the post-season, their task has been straightforward.

It is one Davies is confident his players can carry out over the next 48 hours and keep themselves in contention for silverware.

Having come so close when runners-up to Milton Keynes Lightning in the National Cup back in March, Davies and his players are driven to go one better in the post-season.

“Saturday, at home, there is nothing bigger - it’s obviously now our biggest game of the season,” said head coach Davies.

“I believe it will give us a better chance of taking it to the last game on Sunday at their place - I’m actually glad it’s this way around.

“We’re normally at home on Sundays. But being at home, in front of a big crowd on Saturday, we need to make life difficult for Peterborough. Then, all being well, we can go there on Sunday with our season still alive.

“It’s all about taking it to that last night at their place.

“Since the Leeds games, it’s always been quite simple for us. We just have to win, it doesn’t matter how we win, we just need to win and if we win both games then we’ll have deserved to get to Coventry.”

Davies will still be missing teenage forward duo Owen Bruton and Rhys Edwards with them away on international duty with Great Britain Under-18s in Poland at the World Championships.

He said he held a meeting with his players in midweek to find out how much they wanted to be part of the final four equation in Coventry. He was pleased with the response he got.

“I just said to the players: ‘Look, - do you want to go to Coventry? Because if you do, I’ll back you 100 per cent and we’ll get it done - but it’s going to take everyone to get it done.’

“And that is the thing with us. I know we can beat any team in this league, but it can’t just be down to a couple of peopl.

“It doesn’t work like that. In order to be successful, we all need to turn up and do our jobs - and that needs to happen this weekend.”