WATCH: Wigan Warriors v Hull FC - Ellis demanding effort and energy from toiling Airlie Birds

They are on the back of a 10-game losing run and desperate for the season to draw to a close when they arrive at Wigan Warriors.

In contrast, their hosts have won all six of their Super 8s games so far and have a home semi-final against Castleford Tigers to look forward to in a week’s time.

While injuries have ravaged Hull’s squad, Ellis admitted: “What we want from this last game is to put all the technicals aside.

“The one thing that is required from our players is effort and energy.

“Regardless of whether you’ve played one Super League game or 300, those expectations never change. That’s what we expect from them.

“I said to them this morning I just want to come off that field knowing we’ve given it our all.

“Give us just that little glimpse of that only 12 months ago we were a very, very good team. Back then, we were aiming for a Grand Final.

“And if we can just do enough to come off that field and think, with a big pre-season, there’s enough there for us to have some confidence going into next year and get back to where we want to be.”

Ellis – who led Hull to the Challenge Cup and top-four again last year before retiring – said the Black and Whites have had to name injured players to make up their 19-man squad.

Meanwhile, they have bolstered their options for 2019 with the signings of Salford Red Devils prop Levy Nzoungou and second-row Danny Langtree from League 1 part-timers Oldham.

French front-row Nzoungou, 20, came through the ranks at St Helens before spending a season with NRL club Melbourne Storm.

The Congo-born forward then signed for Toulouse Olympique before joining up with Salford this term.

Langtree was a promising second-row in St Helens’ academy when, at just 17, he was banned for two years after testing positive for cocaine.

He returned to action with Oldham and has spent the last seven years in the lower leagues before getting this top-flight chance at Hull.