THERE'S no doubt in my mind that tonight's clash at Warrington is a very big night for Peter Gentle and his Hull FC side.
I say this because at present, in my opinion, the Black and Whites are considered Super League's pretenders.
They are rarely blown away by the current top four, yet cannot seem to get over the top of them.
Usually it is the small plays that separates the current top four from the rest at present because top sides don't lose concentration and rarely miss opportunities.
They are clinical and find a way to win big games, even when things are going against them.
Sat in sixth place, Hull are five points behind the Wolves in third, so a win – their first over one of the current top four this season – would close the gap to three points and be psychologically huge moving forward.
A loss, stretching the gap between themselves and the Wolves to seven points, would be damaging.
For me, a win is vital for FC, and a good performance is paramount in terms of the rest of the season.
Hull cannot afford to be blown away by the Wolves.
If they are then the damage to the FC players' minds could well be irreparable.
Winning against teams above on you in the table is huge.
It isn't just another two points, as so many coaches like to say, it gives teams a psychological advantage, especially heading into the knock-out rugby meetings which come with the play-offs.
Should FC lose again to the Wolves tonight, I can say without doubt it would most definitely play on their minds should the two sides meet in 2013 – whether that be in the cup or the race for the Grand Final.
Thankfully, Hull go into the contest on the back of a very good display last week in their Challenge Cup win over Wakefield.
Gentle's men produced a great defensive performance, keeping an extremely dangerous Wildcats team to just one try and only six points is a fantastic effort.
In attack they lacked a little cohesion, but with play-maker Daniel Holdsworth getting more much-needed game time, along with skipper Gareth Ellis, the coming weeks looks a great deal more colourful than a month ago.
Of course, that defensive effort from last week will have to be increased a notch against the free-scoring Wolves.
Tony Smith's men can attack from any position on the field, they chance their arm, play what they see and are very capable of running up big scores.
On top of this they are very clinical, and any half-chance is capitalised upon the majority of the time.
They stay patient, rely on their defence to force errors from the opposition, and then pounce.
I'm sure Hull will have looked back to their clash earlier in the season to learn a few lessons ahead of tonight.
Warrington hung in at the KC, dug deep and eventually came out on top. Both teams have improved since then however, and there's no question this game should be an absolute cracker.
The key to Hull winning is not allowing themselves to be bullied.
Warrington have no God-given right to win this game, no given right not to be knocked backwards when attacking, and no right to play the ball quickly and be on the front-foot.
FC must be aggressive, strong in their start to this game, complete their sets, kick smartly and chase hard right across the board.
They must also stop Micky Higham winning the battle around the ruck.
He is in outstanding form and is extremely quick out of dummy-half, knowing when to go, when to give the pass early and when to commit defenders first before playing team-mates into holes.
Every FC player must believe they are capable of winning this game, not just be happy competing with one of the current top four.
Stopping Warrington is by no means going to be easy, but FC are in form. However, I'm tipping the Wolves, who have home advantage, narrowly. For me, it's the Wolves by 10, but I hope I'm very wrong.
