GARETH Ellis says Hull FC are a far cry from the side that gave what he labels an 'embarrassing' performance against Hull KR earlier this season.
And the Hull captain believes with confidence rising in camp that they can beat anyone in Super League, Rovers task will be made all the harder.
Hull head to the Magic Weekend looking for only their second win at the event in seven attempts, and a first victory over the Robins.
A 23-10 loss at the KC Stadium earlier in the campaign, a game Ellis missed through injury, stands out as a low point of the campaign for the Black and Whites.
But seven wins from eight games since has seen Peter Gentle's side turn things around.
"We've come a long way since we played Hull KR last time around," Ellis told the Mail.
"That was the lowest point of the season and it was almost embarrassing at times in that game.
"We have started to turn things around though and it has made it a lot easier coming back into a winning team for me."
Hull are unbeaten in the three games Ellis has featured in since making a long overdue debut following a broken foot.
Having been forced to watch from the sidelines during a poor display in the last derby, the England international is eager to make his first derby appearance.
"I'm really looking forward to this one," he said.
"It's great to play against Hull KR and the whole atmosphere that comes with that, but I'm a big fan of the whole Magic Weekend and everything that goes with it too.
"It has an atmosphere like a final, in a big stadium and it feels like we are going to a Grand Final or a Challenge Cup final.
"It will probably feel like that when we run out on Saturday."
While Saturday's derby may have a cup final feel to it for Ellis, any talk of being back in Manchester in October for the Grand Final has been banished from the Hull training ground.
Having blown their own trumpet too hard early in the season with talk of their ambitions, Hull are taking a more quiet approach.
Victories like Friday's at Warrington will only help Hull's chances of a top-four finish however, and buoyed by the result, Ellis says it is now important for his side to learn to play to that standard week after week.
"We believe now we can beat teams in the top four," he added.
"We showed it against Wigan, where we were nearly there. But against Warrington we got over the winning line.
"We need to do that week in and week out now and that's the challenge from hereon in.
"It's about not getting carried away with beating Warrington, knuckling down and doing it every week like the champion sides do."
