Gentle believes Hull can prove they are now genuine contenders for title

They head to leaders Wigan Warriors on the back of encouraging wins over Hull KR and Salford City Reds that helped arrest their mid-season slump.

Hull have moved up to sixth in the process and shown signs of crucially recovering the form which saw them start the year so impressively.

However, after twice almost squandering 12-point leads against Salford, Gentle knows they will still need more against tonight’s revered opponents.

“We set up substantial advantages and our poor play let them back in so we have got to be better,” said the Australian.

“Wigan are the best team in the competition and we need an 80 minute performance.

“But, also, we’ve got to be better than that going into the semis (play-offs) – if you get those sorts of leads you have to be good enough to keep your foot on their throat not help them up.

“We don’t want to be making up the numbers in the semis.

“With Catalan next week, too, we can show in the next fortnight we’re actually there with a chance to win this comp’ not just to make up the numbers.

“That’s whether we finish top four, top six or top eight.

“But you need to be able to compete with these at the top end of the competition and that’s our aim at Wigan.”

It will not be easy given both Wigan’s own zeal and the historic nature of meetings between the sides; the Warriors have won the last six games against Hull dating back to 2009 but have also proved victorious in their previous six home matches with them, the Airlie Birds not prospering there for more than seven years.

However, the hosts are without all three of their crucial midfield axis – captain Sean O’Loughlin and Australian stand-off Brett Finch joining long-term injury victim Thomas Leuluai – which will undoubtedly cause disruption while in-form centre Darrell Goulding is also sidelined.

Huddersfield Giants have paid a fee to Widnes Vikings to secure prop Anthony Mullally, 21, from next season while Castleford Tigers second-row Stuart Jones, 30, has announced he will retire at the end of this campaign.