Friday Interview - Tom Briscoe: Briscoe and Hull turn focus on reeling in the leaders

After last Thursday's epic success over Hull KR, victorious Hull FC would be forgiven for thinking the pressure valve may be released for a little while longer than usual.

After all, nothing matters more than winning those bragging rights and they have managed to walk proud though the city ever since sending the west side delirious with a historic first Super League double.

However, it is a sign of their growing prominence in the title race – Hull can move level with third-placed St Helens this evening – that the Old Faithful will already be expecting more tonight.

They may be decimated by injuries and suspensions at KC Stadium, the scene of last week's heroics, and facing a formidable challenge in the form of disgruntled leaders Wigan.

But their supporters – after consecutive years wallowing in the lower regions – are fast developing a taste for these heady heights and there is a sense a further victory is almost demanded.

That is the price you pay for improvement and it is one ambitious Hull are willing to accept.

"This Wigan game is so important," winger Tom Briscoe told the Yorkshire Post.

"The derby has gone now. It's history. We have to put in a good performance to get anything from Wigan and make sure we don't drop down like we did against Wakefield the other week.

"There's not many games left (five). We want to secure fourth spot and we've got to keep winning to do that.

"Winning tough games like this and getting through them is what it's about. We relish that."

Wigan, in their best position yet to end their barren quest for Grand Final glory, have lost just four times this season but arrive in East Yorkshire smarting from the latest of those defeats against closest-challengers Warrington.

Hull had the misfortune of facing Kevin Maguire's side the following week after their first loss of the year at Bradford in March.

Richard Agar's men were subsequently vanquished 48-24 at DW Stadium and he expects to feel the full force of a backlash again.

Briscoe, 20, said: "It's shown where they are in the league; Wigan are ahead of everyone else.

"They'll be looking to bounce back immediately but we're on the back of a good win and full of confidence.

"It's going to be a huge game and we've had a good week training. Hopefully that will carry on into the match."

Briscoe insists Hull – who boast Super League's finest home record having lost just once, against Warrington at Easter – can overcome the immense disruption suffered over the last few days.

Ex-Wigan second-row Danny Tickle misses out against his hometown club, the goal-kicker banned following his part in the brawl that erupted against Rovers.

But, added to an injury list which already includes crucial leaders Sean Long, Craig Fitzgibbon and Mark O'Meley, are the luckless Mark Calderwood and Richard Whiting.

Winger Calderwood, another former Wigan player, returned against Rovers after four months out with a hamstring tear only to suffer the same injury in his other leg.

The remarkably consistent Whiting, who has played every position from full-back to stand-off this term, broke his arm in the same game and will miss the rest of the season.

"I'm pretty down for them both," admitted Briscoe, Hull's current top try-scorer with 13 and a player whose strike threat now becomes increasingly important.

"Calders has had terrible luck this season. He's just come back and gets injured again.

"But it's the same for Rich. He's had no luck with that arm, he's broken it before and it's a bad time for him, but we'll be ready."

Wigan's biggest absentee is coach Michael Maguire.

The astute leader, who has transformed the world's most famous club during his first season in England, has flown back to Australia to see his ill father, leaving assistant Shaun Wane in charge.

Briscoe finds himself up against fellow bright young Englishman Darrell Goulding, the prolific winger who is joint-top of the Super League try-scoring stakes on 22 with team-mate Pat Richards and Warrington's Chris Riley.

Meanwhile, he has been inundated with questions about that tackle this week.

Briscoe's dramatic halting of Rovers' Peter Fox with just 42 seconds remaining sealed the memorable 20-16 triumph and has had people waxing lyrical ever since.

"When they shipped it wide after the ball had bounced on the last, I knew I just had to get out there as fast as I could," recalled the Academy product.

"To be honest, I still don't know how they didn't score considering where I started from but I managed to get to him.

"Then, it was just sheer joy and excitement that we'd won. Beating Rovers means everything to our fans.

"I saw Foxy at an England camp on Tuesday. There was a bit of banter but no hard feelings. Like I said, it's over now; it's all about Wigan."

If they overcome the odds and defeat another red and white team tonight, Hull could lay down a serious marker for their ultimate destination – Old Trafford.